Two Sides of the Coin
by ealintara
Summary: Like two sides of a coin, the ancient and modern Jedi Codes are connected, their purpose and duty identical. On one side, ObiWan Kenobi, the other, an order cloaked in secrecy. Secrets can’t last forever, but can a Code? PreTPM to ANH. Novel length WIP
1. Missions

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing you recognize. I'm merely playing with them and enjoying myself far too much.

* * *

_Nearly 4,000 years before the fall of the Old Republic, the First Jedi Purge left the Order in pieces. One Jedi exile helped rebuild the Order in the Republic, but what of another?_

* * *

**Prologue**

Roh DoQua sat meditating in the darkened cave that served as their hiding place. His companion, Master Gemvoi, had left the cave, which blocked most transmissions, in hopes of contacting any other surviving Jedi. It was a near daily ritual for the aging man. Despite Gemvoi and Roh not seeing eye to eye, they had both felt their continued survival was due to their working together. The Jedi were being hunted and exterminated, that much had become clear. The aftermath of the Sith Civil War had left the Order in shambles, publicly disbanded, while it's surviving members tried to do just that... survive.

The previous night he had a disturbing dream of a great struggle. He saw glimpses of Jedi robes but nothing more as he heard screams and war cries and felt the singe of lightsabers whizzing past his ears. Perhaps his dream was nothing more than a memory. The battles he had seen had begun to blend into a blur of painful recollections, with visions of fallen friends and foes, even his former Master, Yuu Vaad, assaulting him every so often as if the Force demanded him to not forget. Its will was sometimes hard to bare.

Forget was the last thing he intended to do, yet hiding forever in the hopes of joining up with other exiled Jedi was beginning to feel like little of an existence at all. Even out there on the rocky, scarcely populated planet hanging on the edge of the Outer Rim, rumors spilled into the small dusty cantinas and marketplaces they relied on for supplies. Numerous times there were rumblings of activities in the Unknown Regions, and though Gemvoi easily dismissed them, Roh didn't. The journey would be difficult, but one he had now long planned to make. He sensed the need to go, like he was being drawn there, and through months of meditation, had come to believe it was the will of the Force that he go. To what purpose, he had yet to learn, but learn it he had no doubt he would.

He needed to clear his mind before he left that day, he had far to travel and Gemvoi had already refused to join him. Weeks had been spent in debate but to no avail. Roh would journey into the Unknown Regions alone. Unfortunately, meditation was not coming easily to him that morning.

Suddenly, Gemvoi entered the cave and sat on a rock across from him, his hands coming to rest on his knees as he looked over at the Jedi Knight. "I received a message from Master Atris. There's to be a conclave on Katarr, joining what forces we have left to weed out the Sith."

His dream came to the forefront of his mind again and it worried him. Could the two be linked? Roh shook his head. His feelings told him everything about this was wrong. He hated telling the man what he knew he didn't want to hear, but there was no one else to give him another opinion. "The Order is no more; we're scattered to the winds. Right now, survival is paramount. Being spread out is protecting us, imagine how convenient it would be for us to be found gathered once more. My feelings tell me this conclave will be folly."

"Is the Living Force telling you this or are you continuing to blind yourself with surrendered hope?" he shot back coolly. Gemvoi always felt Roh had a dark outlook on their situation, a stark contrast to his own.

Sighing, Roh stood and shook the dust from his dark blue-gray trousers. "Yes, Gemvoi, the Living Force is telling me this is not a wise move. Whether or not you will take stock in it, is up to you." Since the end of the Great Sith War some forty-four years earlier, the Jedi had placed their focus more and more on the Unifying Force, an earnest caution of which Yuu Vaad instilled in him. As he said, _"The present effects the future. Do not blind yourself to the moment for a future that may not be."_

Gemvoi clasped his hands and Roh could tell he was taking a moment to calm himself. He heard the Master's temper was short as a Padawan but had learned to control it, but living in exile, hiding to survive and with a Jedi Knight as contradictory to his nature as possible had seemed to wear him down. Gemvoi himself said he needed to meditate more.

"Yuu Vaad was the greatest proponent against the revision of the code, of banning marriage_, and _he was a great Jedi." Gemvoi paused a moment then continued. "Though I honor his memory, I must question his teachings that you so ardently hold on to. Can you truly not see how our focus on the Living Force blinded us to this outcome, how we failed to see to our continued survival as an Order as our Padawans dwindled and our younglings became scarce?"

"You believe what you wish, as will I. We have debated this enough." Roh stepped further into the cave, grabbing a canvas sack and began stuffing a few items he had managed to scavenge inside. _Emotion, yet peace. _The old code Yuu taught him to keep. Arguing would not do either of them any good. It was well time that he left.

"Still planning on leaving then?" Gemvoi questioned.

He didn't look up as he answered, "Yes. I already double-checked the ship I repaired in the ravine and it's ready. Keep our ship... use it to join the conclave if you wish."

"That I will," Gemvoi replied with a sigh. A silence fell over them, save for the sound of Roh's sack. "Roh," he called, and waited for his companion to look at him, "despite our differences, I've always respected you. I will always respect you. You're as great Jedi as Yuu, perhaps even greater."

A faint smile crossed Roh's face as he came to stand before Gemvoi, who rose as he reached him. "Thank you. You know I have had nothing but the greatest respect for you as well."

Gemvoi nodded, placing a hand on Roh's shoulder. "May the Force be with you."

Roh nodded. "And with you." Then he stepped out of the cave and out of sight.

* * *

**Book I**

**The Toss**

**I- Missions**

In step with Hyn Maiier, her Master, Calei walked into her father's office and lowered the dark muted green hood of her wool cloak. Doing the same with his matching Paladin cloak, Hyn stopped before her father and bowed his head, his hands one on top of the other with palms down before his chest as he did so. The silver sash attached to the right shoulder of her pale green gown, marking her a Paladine Study, peeked out from under the edge of the cloak as Calei echoed the traditional Aaetinian greeting.

"Calei! Cousin Hyn!" her father, Senator Kyless Denall, cried as he swiftly made his way around his desk in order to hug his daughter and clasp forearms with her Master. "I'm sorry to interrupt your plans to return to Aaeton, but I'm afraid I need your help with a delicate matter." He gestured to the couches on the right side of the room and the three sat, Hyn and Calei facing her father.

"You know of the disappearance of the Gaulizon Revitalization funds a few months ago?"

"The Paladin are still investigating it, yes," her Master replied.

"We believe Lor Pytalln may be connected to the disappearance."

"The Governor of the Western Quarter?" Hyn questioned in surprise. "The Pytalln's are an ancient ducal house that has been known for their loyalty and character. Why would Lor be implicated?"

Kyless sighed and leaned back into the cushions, adjusting the waist of his violet velvet tunic as he did. "One of Lor's servants, Rel Bonis, came forward a few weeks ago after learning about a reward for information. He said he had overheard Lor on several occasions speaking with a man only addressed as Xeng. Though he couldn't distinguish many details, he did hear them mention the funds and on one occasion, they're planning a trade of some sort. Only days after receiving the reward, he disappeared."

"We've heard nothing of this," Calei said, shocked. Though they served in the ducal regimen, for Ducal House Denall, it wasn't unusual for the Royal Paladin, who had clearly taken over the investigation of House Pytalln, to recruit their help. It seemed the suspicious disappearance of this man should have warranted such help.

Hyn turned to her. _Listen, young Padawan. Don't comment._

She dropped her gaze before settling it back on her father. _Yes, Master._

"It has been necessary to keep this as quiet as possible," her father addressed her, crossing his legs and propping his head on his chin as his elbow rested on the arm of the couch, his gaze drawn towards the window. "Aaeton has been known for over a millennia as a peaceful planet, eager to negotiate with and for other worlds, a haven of relatively quiet people who have no need for military presence beside our ancient Paladin." He dropped his hand and locked eyes with her. "All of which could easily crumble should this scandal go public. It has the reputation of our world balanced on a knife's blade."

As she nodded in understanding, Hyn said, "Please continue."

"Yes, well..." Her father turned his gaze back to her Master. "As they continued the investigation, they discovered a discrepancy in the Pytalln Foundry's reports. Somehow, ten tons of Dallorian alloy has gone unaccounted for."

"A valuable thing to trade," Hyn commented.

Kyless nodded. "Exactly what they thought. Then yesterday, a freighter loaded with a shipment of Dallorian was intercepted outside of Gaulizon; its coordinates set for Abregado-rae. The shipment wasn't recorded in the port's logs or the Foundry's."

Her Master had begun to rub his chin with his hand. "Abregado-rae, a good place to make a silent trade. And they believe this Xeng may be there awaiting it?"

"Indeed," her father replied. "In order to keep from alerting Lor to the discovery they replaced the crew, who are now in custody, and sent the ship here. You're to accompany the shipment to Abregado-rae, find this Xeng, determine the terms of the trade, and whether it has anything to do with the missing funds. I leave it to your best judgment whether or not to release the Dallorian based on your findings."

He handed a datapad to Hyn from the table beside his couch. "Under interrogation, they learned that this was the fifth shipment being sent and that this was to be their contact upon arrival, as per the client's instructions."

Looking it over quickly, Hyn thanked him and slipped it into a pocket on the inside of his outer tunic. "I understand." Hyn stood and Calei followed. "Is the ship ready? I'd like to leave immediately. Abregado-Rae is a ways off and if the shipment is delayed too long it may draw attention."

"Yes," Kyless stood, walking them towards the door. "I have a speeder awaiting you outside. Bogden, as usual. He will take you to the platform. Have you need of anything?"

"No, we are fine." Hyn stopped as they reached the door, he and Calei lifting their hoods. When his features were shadowed, he said, "Remember."

"As always," her father replied with a solemn nod.

Before any missions where they spoke with her father before departing, her Master said the same phrase and her father gave the same reply. _As always_. Calei often wanted to ask Hyn what it was her father was to remember, but once when she tried to broach the subject, he made it very clear that should he feel it was necessary for her to know, he would tell her. In the mean time, she must trust his judgment. A Padawan was not to question the decision of their Master, so she didn't.

She could still wonder though.

* * *

The course blue shirt under his gray jacket made his back itch uncomfortably, but at least he could keep his own trousers on. Qui-Gon had explained the need to remove their Jedi tunics and robes, that their contact wished no possible connection between him and the Jedi, but Obi-Wan still hated wearing the damned thing. The sooner they completed this mission, the better. 

"Having trouble, Padawan?"

He looked over at Qui-Gon who stood grinning as Obi-Wan reached around and scratched at his back. Somehow, the simple rust colored shirt and red jacket his Master wore made him appear even taller than he already was. Unlike him, Qui-Gon seemed at ease in his new apparel.

"Could you have chosen a more agreeable material?" he asked, resisting the urge to scratch yet again.

The grin broadened on Qui-Gon's face. "I didn't think to choose by fabric. I simply thought the colors suited you."

The humor in his Master's eyes only made him grimace more.

"Come, we have much to do," Qui-Gon said, leading him away from the ship as it prepared to leave the spaceport of Abregado-rae.

* * *

"Ma'Ma," she said from behind the blindfold, "can I go pick wilkberries when we're done?" 

A pale, blonde haired woman sat on a rock a few feet away, her dark blue gown covering most of its surface as she laughed, her golden eyes reflecting the sun as brilliantly as her hair. "Yes, but first you must focus on your lessons."

The seven-year-old sighed and raised her lightsaber. "Yes, Ma'Ma."

The sleeves of her outer dress hung from her elbows, the paler blue underdress hugging her forearms as the glow of the silver blade seemed to almost match the skyward color. Over an hour of this lesson with the training remote and little Calei was ready for a break. Several minutes later her mother told her to stop.

"Hand me your blindfold and you may go pick wilkberries."

The girl jumped with joy, tossing her mother the blindfold.

"Don't forget to keep your lightsaber concealed and don't go off too far. Be mindful of that malia den three kilometers east."

Calei sighed, "I know."

Her mother apparently chose to ignore the comment. "Do you have your comlink?"

"Always, Ma'Ma," she again sighed, bouncing on the balls of her feet, her excitement boiling over.

Galei Denall looked at the small chrono attached to a thin chain hanging from her waist. "You have one hour. I'll be at the falls."

"Yes, Ma'Ma!" she shouted behind her as she took off through the trees, tucking her lightsaber onto the clip hidden under her sleeveless blue-violet surcoat.

She loved their trips to Ragoon VI. They could train without worrying about privacy, she loved the natural wonders that covered the planet which was a wonderful change from the pristine marble of the capital, and it was the only time she was allowed to go off on her own without some Paladine following her. Calei knew the Jedi also used the planet for training missions, but in all the years she could remember coming there with her mother, she had never see one. Her mother was careful about sensing them through the Force and of giving any a wide berth.

For forty minutes she walked through the bushes that littered the forest floor, picking the delicate yellow wilkberries she found along the way, their sweet orange nectar occasionally dribbling out of the corner of her mouth as she ate them on her journey. In the distance she heard the falls her mother enjoyed meditating by and kept a mental note of their position in relation to hers. She would not be pleased if her daughter got lost.

Finally she reached a huge berry laden bush that towered over her, yet had an opening about her height in the middle of it, probably made by some animal foraging as she was. Ducking a little to get into the tunnel, her hanging sleeves tangling here and there on the branches of waxy green leaves, she sat on her knees, plucking ripe berries and plopping them into her mouth. As she picked the bush clean, she heard a rustling on the opposite side, just outside the tunnel but thought nothing of it as a breeze rustled the leaves above her. It was midday and malia would be sleeping in their den.

Finding it harder to reach berries now that those within easy reach were gone, she spotted a clump hanging on the edge of the entrance on the other side of the bush and she carefully made her way through and out the other end. Standing, she grabbed three berries at once and smiled before enjoying them. With her hands empty again, she reached up to pick a few just above her head.

"Over there! I saw a bush full of them earlier!"

The voice startled Calei and she turned just in time to see two boys, easily twice her age, burst through a bush several feet from her. All three stood silent for a moment, as Calei looked them over. They were tall, and wore simple tunics, leather boots, a belt loaded with various pouches and... lightsabers. Her eyes jumped to their heads where identical braids hung down from behind their right ears. Jedi Padawans.

Her heart began to race and her hand flew to hover over her concealed lightsaber, her frame trembling as she did. The reddish-brown haired boy held up a hand.

"It's alright, we won't harm you, we're Jedi."

She sensed his sincerity, yet her mother's warning about Jedi rang in her ears. Clumsily she nodded. "I know." Oh, if only she were any good at her Qey'Tek meditations. Her mother was always getting on her about practicing, even though it would be years before she could master it.

"She must be Aaetinian, no one else is allowed here," his dark haired companion said. He stood taller than the other boy did, and seemed older as well, yet she didn't find it as easy to sense his Living Force, not that she was that apt at it anyways.

Again she nodded as she took a small step backwards.

The first boy spoke again. "Are you alone?"

There was something comforting about him, much like her half brother, Seton. Somehow she knew she could trust this one, like the Force wished her too, but even she knew she didn't understand the Force enough to be sure. He might just _look_ friendly.

Calei shook her head. "My mother is with me. I... I was picking wilkberries."

"Ah, well, we were planning to do the same. Mind if we join you?" He asked with a warm smile that was hard not to reciprocate.

Catching herself smiling back at the young Jedi, she quickly erased it and shook her head again. "I have to go."

The dark haired boy made to take a step closer and in her panic to separate herself from them she looked up, hands raised, and gave a branch above them a Force Push. A large laka nut fell on the boy's head, distracting the two as she ducked through the alcove and ran back towards the falls. She had hoped to bring the branch down between them to cut them off from following her easily, but she'd be thankful she managed to get the nut.

Her mother wasn't going to be happy.

She was panting slightly when she awoke, the memory vivid as she sat up and drew on the Force to help her calm her breathing. She no longer got winded from running as she did as a child, yet dreaming that moment had caused her to relive everything from that time; the feel of the sun on her skin, the smooth blindfold, to the shortness of breath. It was odd, how she had now had that dream twice since leaving Aaeton a week ago.

Pulling the sides of her long, wavy auburn hair up she twisted them into a knot on the back of her head, then lifted her Padawan braid and threaded it through the knot. If anyone had ever wondered at the single braid in the complex coif, they never mentioned it, which was good. They mightn't abandon tradition, but they couldn't openly display it here within the Republic either.

Quickly, she grabbed her lightsaber, slipping it onto the clip hidden under her muted earth green surcoat and then hooked the thin Atahns onto her left hip. Donning her cloak, Calei stepped out of the stateroom and headed for the lounge where Hyn was most likely to be. Reaching it, she found him sitting at the table, a cup of warm tea before him.

"Are you rested now, young Padawan?" he asked with a warm smile before lifting the cup to his lips.

Calei took a seat across from him and helped herself to some juice from a decanter in front of her. "Yes. Though... I had that dream again."

Hyn lowered the cup, his gaze almost stony, though she knew it bore more warmth than others would expect. Still, the smile had faded. "The one of you and your mother on Ragoon VI?"

She nodded.

Hyn rarely spoke of her mother; they had been Padawans together on Sorii in the Unknown Regions until she had left suddenly after passing her trials. It wasn't until he was sent on his long term mission into the Republic and returned to his mother's homeworld of Aaeton that he ran into Galei Duun, now Lady Denall. It was then that he had decided to join the Paladin and remain on Aaeton as he completed his mission for the DoQua Jedi, eventually taking Calei as his Padawan five years ago.

Often she had wondered if her Master had felt more for her mother than friendship, but she knew better than to question him. It was hard enough to speak to him about her dream; he put little stock in them. Hers and his.

"Perhaps there is a reason for you to remember that moment, and perhaps there isn't. Either way, it is best not to dwell on it. Focus on here and now. If your dream has a purpose to serve, it will be revealed in due time." His words made their usual sense and ended the discussion all at once. A talent for which she often admired.

Nodding silently, Calei sat staring at her juice as her Master finished his tea and headed out of the lounge towards the cockpit.

* * *

The Capital City of Abregado-rae had one thing in common with Coruscant, neither slept. Looking out the window of their small room in a rather questionable hotel, Obi-Wan watched as small boats drifted past, their wakes glistening with the reflected light of the many buildings lining the canal. Laughter from a small group walking over a bridge just in front of the hotel echoed outside as he released the curtain and let it block out the view from outside. 

"What makes the Council believe that this informant from the Nebula Front is to be trusted?" he asked, crossing the room to sit on the edge of his sleep couch as Qui-Gon occupied the only chair in the room.

Tinkering with his comlink, which seemed to have gone on the fritz since their arrival, Qui-Gon didn't look up as he answered, "They don't necessarily trust him. However, they share the same concerns." Another futile attempt to get the devise to respond. "For now, he is our only source of information."

Obi-Wan slid further back on the sleep couch and crossed his legs in front of him. "How do we know they aren't leading us into a trap?"

"We don't," Qui-Gon replied, setting his comlink down with a sigh. Turning his gaze to Obi-Wan, he added, "but it is all we have to go on for the time being. It would be unwise to ignore a possible lead."

Obi-Wan knew he was right. Even so, he often grew tiresome of following even the smallest clue. They sometimes led to more trouble than they were worth.

"Now hand me your comlink. Perhaps I'll have better luck with it."

Sighing, Obi-Wan fumbled in his pocket, digging it out then tossing it over to his Master. Pockets really were more bothersome than utility pouches. Pity Qui-Gon said they had to remove those too.

A few moments passed and Obi-Wan stretched out on the sleep couch, staring up at the ceiling as Qui-Gon finally got a message.

"We meet with the informant tomorrow," he announced, tossing the comlink back to Obi-Wan. "Since we have nothing more to do until then, I suggest we get some rest."

Obi-Wan made to put the devise back in his pocket and thought better of it. With it on the small nightstand between their sleep couches, it was less likely to shift under his side during the night.

"Night, Master," he said, as Qui-Gon turned out the light.

"Good night, Obi-Wan."

* * *

Standing at the foot of the loading ramp, Hyn behind her speaking to one of the port managers, Calei looked about the spaceport from beneath the heavy hood of her cloak. In many ways it reminded her of the spaceport in Aaeta; people bustling about, the smell of ship fuel, and the ebb and flow of Basic and other languages battling with the ships' engines. What were quite different here, however, were the water canals that were used for transportation. 

Hyn nodded to the port manager and turned to join her, she noted as she looked behind her to see the manager heading towards the ship, datapad in hand. Not far from them, cargo was being loaded onto another freighter. Reaching her side, he lowered his hood.

"So where are we off to?" she asked, taking a step closer to him to keep from being run down by a cargo container being poorly driven on a repulsorlift by a port hand.

Hyn smiled. "Where else on Abregado-rae? The Star of Chance," he said, heading towards the nearest canal.

Following closely behind her Master, she shook her head. "A casino. Lovely. Where else would someone possibly wrapped up in a credit scandal operate?"

From in front of her, Hyn held up a finger. "A cantina."

"I see I'm to be thoroughly corrupted on this mission, aren't I?"

"I won't tell if you won't."

Even from behind she knew he was grinning.

* * *

_I have to go._

The image of the little girl was still on his mind as he followed Qui-Gon towards the casino. What had spurred the memory on was beyond him. Eleven years had passed, and never had he thought on that short encounter until now. When he had returned to the Temple, he had told his Master about it, who easily dismissed the girl's actions as having seen the nut before them and acted instinctually, blocking her face. Obi-Wan wanted to believe it, but there was something about her that made it difficult. She almost reminded him of Bant when she was younger, so small and soft-spoken. And there was something else...

As they entered, the noise brought him back from his thoughts.

"Was this the wisest of locations to have chosen, Master?" he asked, several minutes after walking through the gambling hall.

Qui-Gon gave him a stern look that made him wish he had kept his mouth shut. He knew his Master must have sensed his unease being in so crowded a place and without the comfort of his Jedi attire. It was hard to feel like a Jedi when everything was out of place, especially your lightsaber. Yet, he still didn't need to voice it.

"Patience, Obi-Wan. It is not yet time for the show to end. For now, focus on our surroundings. Outwardly, all seems to be in order, but Abregado-rae is known as a smuggler's haven for good reason, remember that young Padawan."

Standing several feet away from the five sets of doors leading into the theater, Obi-Wan looked away from Qui-Gon, saying, "Yes, Master," in a tone that rang of apology.

Around them the casino was a maze of faces, machines, scrolling holograms of odds, and cheering gamblers. A smoky haze drifted just above Qui-Gon's head throughout most of the vast space. Judging by his observation of the room it could have easily fit a small freighter inside.

As the five sets of doors opened, letting the theater patrons out, he stood straighter and began to scan the crowd leaving.

_Obi-Wan._

Quickly he looked to Qui-Gon who nodded towards a figure about five feet away, a playbill in hand, as well as a travel brochure for Coruscant.

Slipping into the crowd and making their way towards the Bith, Obi-Wan thought he felt something, a faint ripple in the Force that seemed somehow familiar, but as soon as the feeling came it passed. And he felt... nothing. He looked towards his Master. If Qui-Gon had felt anything, he showed no sign of it. Shaking it off, he fell in step with his Master as they went to meet their informant.

It seemed his mind was playing tricks on him lately.

* * *


	2. Parallels

**Book I**

**The Toss**

**II- Parallels**

As they drew closer to the casino, Calei's gaze snapped to Hyn. She didn't need their bond to be able to tell he felt what she did, the look on his face was clear enough. Without needing his instruction, she quickly shielded herself, drawing her presence in the Force in until she felt separated from her surroundings, blocked off from the usually comforting Living Force of the world around her. Beside her, she felt her Master doing the same.

She had only recently become capable of shielding her Force through the Qey'Tek meditations for a short time, but she had far to go before mastering them. Although it wasn't unusual to feel a Force sensitive presence while on a mission, especially since there were far too many Jedi to believe they would always land on a planet not occupied by any, it was best to be cautious. Hopefully, they wouldn't be there long.

"Our contact expects only one person to meet him. Be mindful, observant, and _don't go far_," Hyn said, their ability to commune through their bond blocked, and gazed down at her with a knowing look before giving a reassuring nod and disappearing through a crowd of people huddling around two tables.

"Don't go far," she repeated to herself with a sigh as she pulled her hood down to appear less conspicuous and began to weave her way through the various machines to her right. The casino gambling hall was huge and anything but inviting to her. However, the entrance left little to do besides keep from getting run into, so she might as well move about.

It was almost suffocating. The air in there was thicker than outside, not that she preferred it. The day was humid and the weight of her cloak only made it worse. Their Paladin garb was fine on Aaeton, but elsewhere, it often proved uncomfortable. The fact that a smoky haze drifted high above her head only made the density more tangible. Couldn't she have stayed outside and observed her surroundings there?

_Learn, young one. _

His familiar reminder to take stock in these experiences replaying through her mind as she began to feel the drain of sustained focus. It seemed her father never failed in finding them 'delicate matters' to attend to, either through his association with the Emperor or friends in the Senate, yet their missions off world were too few in her Master's opinion. Exposure was paramount in his eyes. It was also tiresome at times.

No sooner than she rounded one of the gambling machines in the distance the doors leading into the theater opened and an endless sea of people came pouring out. Calei had been casually watching the crowds walk past her as she walked further away from the door and closer to the theater when she saw them, their Force glowing in her vision like soft velvet encased spheres.

It was faint due to her limited abilities, but they were there, she had no doubt. Close to the theater doors stood two figures, their faces turned away from her as the moving crowd kept blocking them from her getting a clear view. She hoped they were Jedi, to believe that only the Jedi could use the Force would be foolish, and to think they could be something else was disquieting. She didn't need to push against the barrier and carefully reach out to see if they were focusing on their surrounds, their attention was else where.

Either they didn't sense her presence, or took no interest in her if they did.

Stepping this way and that, she tried to get closer and in a better position to see the two in hopes of identifying them, but they had begun to walk away from her, towards the opposite side of the casino with a third who appeared to be a Bith. It didn't appear that they were wearing Jedi robes, but then she couldn't see much aside from what was visible over the shoulders and heads of the crowd between them. The head of the tallest was the only thing she could clearly make out as she tried to follow and concentrate on maintaining her shielded Force at the same time, neither winning out.

"Calei."

Having not sensed his approach due to the barrier of the meditation, and tiring from it as well, she was startled and her concentration failed, the shield dissipating.

Hyn cast her a stern look as he crossed his arms.

_You continue to lose focus too easily, young Padawan._

_Yes, Master._

The disappointment she felt through their bond made her chest tighten. She was truly doing her best with the meditations, they were just so difficult. The silence that passed between them then cut deeper than his words ever could have.

"And?" he finally questioned, a moment later. Calei knew it was either to hear what she had to report or he wanted to check exactly how mindful she had been having seen them too.

"The presence we felt were two people, possibly Jedi. I tried to get a better look, but the crowds made it difficult," she explained, feeling rather drained from the effort that she had exerted maintaining her concentration. The corner of his lip inching up told her the intent of the question had indeed been the latter.

Hyn looked in the direction the two had gone. "If they are Jedi, they must be here on their own mission. We have no need to worry so long as our paths remain separate." He began leading her back towards the entrance, his disappointment passed.

His tone had softened by the time he added, "The contact confirmed our suspicions; Xeng is the client for the shipment. After compensating him for his trouble, seeing as we're a day late, he gave me the meeting location to arrange the delivery. LoBue Cantina. He guaranteed Xeng's being there this evening."

Calei felt better as her Master allowed her slip go, chuckling softly as she walked by his side. "So we're visiting a cantina after all?"

"Don't enjoy this too much," he said with a playful grin.

She gave him one of her own before turning back to all seriousness, asking, "How will we know him?"

"We won't. He'll find us." With that, he stuck a polished stone lapel onto the right side of his cloak and stepped out of the casino.

* * *

The cantina was dark, save the lights of the dance floor. The patrons were as varied as in the casino, and twice as lively. LoBue Cantina's bar was lined with every imaginable species that side of the galaxy, while the dance floor seemed disproportionately human. Sitting in a darkened corner at a table with his Master and their Bith informant, they had a good vantagepoint over the establishment.

"The Nebula Front's new militant wing is becoming more... active," the Bith said, "I once believed we needed to be more aggressive, show the Trade Federation we're serious; that's why I joined the militant faction. But now it's going too far. Lives may become endangered."

Qui-Gon sat listening, giving no outward sign of his thoughts, though Obi-Wan knew he was agreeing with the words of the Bith. "Is that why you contacted us?"

"Yes," he replied, "I still believe in the purpose of the Nebula Front, but I don't agree with brutal tactics. We're about protecting the underdog, not mauling the one holding the leash." He paused to take a sip of his drink. "What would you think of the Front acquiring some ten tons of Dallorian alloy?"

Obi-Wan's gaze snapped to Qui-Gon who shared his look of concern as he said, "I would think it might mean the Front has either contracted a private arms manufacturer or is trading it for other supplies."

"Or services," the Bith added. "None of our weapons have Dallorian plating and their source isn't in question. But I will tell you this... the name _Cohl_ has been whispered among certain higher ups."

"Captain Cohl," Qui-Gon remarked, waving off a waitress before she could reach the table.

"I'm still haven't verified if they are indeed using the Dallorian as some form of payment for Cohl's services, or if he is being recruited at all. What I do know is that the final shipment of two tons of Dallorian alloy is expected any time now." The Bith sounded as unsettled by this news as they felt, his eyes staring into his drink for a few moments before finishing it.

"Then we must be there when the delivery takes place," his Master replied. "Can you get us the time and location?"

He nodded. "I'll contact you when I have more information."

Nodding in return, Qui-Gon stood. "Until then."

Standing up, Obi-Wan went to ask his Master what they would do now when he felt the ripple in the Force again, strong this time. Looking to Qui-Gon, he saw that he felt it too.

* * *

"I think I preferred the casino," Calei commented several hours later, when night was beginning to fall.

Hyn looked at her with a smile. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. At least there I could hear myself think," she commented as her eyes took in the sight of LoBue, its darkened entrance and colored lights occasionally filtering through the small, high windows as exotic music drifted out onto the walkway where they stood.

"Ah, but then you don't always listen," he countered playfully as she scowled.

_Funny, Master. _

With another smile, Hyn entered, nodding to their right before heading off in that direction with Calei right beside him. As soon as they did, she felt a ripple in the Force, similar to the one in the casino. Her Master must have felt it at the same moment.

_Calei!_

Quickly they focused on shielding their Forces, the barriers pressing on each other like semi-flexible walls. Though she was use to the sensation of suddenly losing the clarity of her bond with her Master, their ability to commune deadened by the meditations, she never really felt comfortable being cut off and isolated, even if she felt his own barrier pushing against hers reassuringly.

"See if it's the same two as before. I'll look out for Xeng," he instructed as they looked around the cantina. The crowd was about the same size as in the casino, only noisier. To their left was the dance floor where it seemed most of the human clientele congregated. At one point, the pair gave a wide berth to two female Devaronians who, from the sound of it, were beginning a heated argument. A male Devaronian sat at the bar behind them; his gaze following them as they walked past the females and found room at the bar's counter to stand.

Scanning to their right, Calei felt her Master looking in the opposite direction, their backs slowly turning towards each other. As she looked back towards the tables in the far corner, she spotted the same flicker of two auras. She wished they were in the casino now. The dark atmosphere made it nearly impossible to tell if they were the same two as before. As if hearing her wish, they stepped out from the tables and light from the nearby dance floor illuminated the features of one of them. Their profiles looked about right but she couldn't be sure unless she could see more of them. Then the man turned to speak to his companion and she spotted the back of his head. The taller one.

As they stepped further into the light, what she didn't see worried her more. No Jedi robes let alone lightsabers. Tentatively she reached out through the Force, her shield bending under her touch to determine whether they were doing the same, as she began to feel their awareness drawing closer, she abruptly backed off and retreated further behind the unseen barrier.

"They're the same, but they don't appear to be Jedi," she told Hyn, her back to his. "And they're using the Force, searching."

She felt him shift behind her. "They've felt us. Focus on your shield." He turned and caught sight of the two men, only their auras would appear more brilliant and easier for him to track. "We'll have to keep an eye on them. This can't be mere coincidence; _there are no accidents_."

"Yes, Master," she replied, all too familiar with the words.

"It's gone," he said, looking over at Obi-Wan who was as puzzled by it as he was. Qui-Gon began to slowly step away from the table, turning his head as Obi-Wan joined him in scanning the cantina. A few moments later, the light of the nearby dance floor hit Qui-Gon in the face and chest when he paused, his hands on his hips.

* * *

"It's like a void," Obi-Wan said, "an impression where something _should_ be, but isn't." 

"Mmm," his Master said, again leading them slowly through the cantina. "Whatever it is, it doesn't feel right." His eyes fell over the room. "Let's split up and see what we can find."

Nodding, Obi-Wan headed back towards the direction they had lcome, intending to circle around the place as Qui-Gon headed the other way around.

* * *

As the pair of Force users walked past more tables, scanning the room in search of something, most likely them, and conversing, Calei caught sight of the last person she expected to see. "Master," she said, touching his arm as his eyes followed the shorter of the two men as he suddenly headed back towards the corner. Hyn stopped following the man with his gaze and looked in the direction Calei was now pointing. 

"Isn't that Rel Bonis? Governor Pytalln's servant that went missing?" she asked. They had met the man when escorting her cousin to Gaulizon for her marriage ceremony to Silas Pytalln, the governor's nephew, a year before.

"It is." Even as he was answering, he started heading towards Rel who sat at a table in the back, a light above the table illuminating his face with a greenish glow.

Shoulder length gray hair fell in his face as Rel sat at the table, sliding a data card into the datapad in front of him. As they approached, Calei could make out the course weave of his simple tunic, a distinct change from the rich fabrics of his station on Aaeton. The man looked haggard and distressed, which she couldn't verify with her Force shielded as it was; she could only rely on visual cues. It wasn't until Hyn spoke that the man looked up.

"Rel Bonis."

His head snapped up and shock registered on his face. He looked ready to bolt out the door when his eyes roamed over them and he suddenly calmed. "Paladine Maiier, correct? And the Lady Calei?" he asked, sliding the datapad into his lap as he flicked strands of hair out of his eyes.

Master and apprentice nodded as they took a seat.

"What brings you two to Abregado-rae?" Rel asked, waving a waitress over, his hands shaking slightly as he did. If she wasn't mistaken there was a touch of fear in his tone.

Hyn waited until Rel had ordered a drink and the waitress had left before he answered. "I think the more important question would be what brings _you_ here."

Rel seemed at a loss for words for a moment as Calei felt a nudge against her shield and realized Hyn wanted her to keep tabs on the Force users. It was becoming difficult to maintain her focus even faster than before; twice in one day and for extended periods was taking its toll on her. Still, she managed to track the faint glow that indicated the two men. The tall one was at the far end of the cantina now, near the entrance, his companion at the opposite end of the bar.

"Do you realize how suspicious this looks; you're being here? Especially after taking that reward money and not being heard from again?" Hyn prodded when he got no response.

"Yes, well I..."

Hyn shot the older man a look that would have made Calei wilt. And apparently it worked on Rel as well, if not better.

"_Alright_. Alright. I was ordered to come here," he admitted as the waitress returned and left his glass on the table.

When she was gone, Hyn questioned him. "Ordered? By whom?"

Rel lifted the glass to his lips and drank half of the blue liquid. Setting the glass back down, it hit the table with an audible thud. "Pytalln."

Shocked, Calei momentarily looked to Hyn and saw he was as surprised as she was though anyone else wouldn't have been able to tell.

Rel looked around, and then continued. "A few months back Pytalln was contacted by this guy... Xeng. Wanted to negotiate a hush-hush sale of some Dallorian alloy; said he wanted to avoid some crazy tax or some such. Well, naturally, Pytalln turned the guy down." He paused to take another pull from his glass. "Next thing you know the Revitalization Funds vanished. That _same_ day, Xeng contacted him again..."

* * *

Obi-Wan now stood at the other end of the bar, Qui-Gon taking the last few steps to join him. "I don't sense anything; in fact I sense _nothing._" 

Qui-Gon sighed. "Me too. But I still don't want to give up just yet. Let's make another pass and focus on pinpointing where something is _not._"

With a nod, Obi-Wan turned and back tracked his steps, slower this time. The noise of the music was easy to tune out as he reached out through the Force, trying to locate where the strange emptiness was originating. Weaving his way through people, he drew closer to the tables along the back.

* * *

"... said he's willing to help him with his little _problem_. For ten tons of Dallorian, he'll pay Pytalln a sum matching the missing credits." 

"Wouldn't that much Dallorian actually go for less than that?" Calei asked, her attention drawn to the conversation.

Rel nodded. "Indeed it would, m'lady. Bit odd, his knowing about the missing credits, let alone his willing to pay that much, don't you think?"

"Unless he was behind their disappearance in the first place," her Master pointed out before casting her a look reminding her of where her focus should be.

Her Force was still shielded, but weakening with fatigue. As for the Force users, they were at the far end of the bar, talking. They hadn't found them, yet they hadn't given up yet either. She could only hope they would before she could not longer maintain this level of concentration.

"However," Hyn added, "that still doesn't explain how you came to be here."

"I'm getting there." With one last tip of the glass, the Aaetinian servant finished his drink. He then set the glass down and slid it away from him.

"Pytalln took the deal," Rel went on, "what with his House's reputation on the line and all. With the Royal Paladin beginning to breathe down his neck, he needed someone he could trust to oversee the five shipments they agreed on; he wasn't going to rely on Xeng's word alone. However, it was going to look strange, me going back and forth, nor did I have the credits to keep myself here for who knew how long. With his accounts already under surveillance, Pytalln couldn't give them to me either. So, when I heard about the reward for information, I told him about it.

"He decided I should go forward, give the Paladin just enough information to keep them busy, then take the credits and jump over here with the first shipment. That was weeks ago. I've made sure the first four were delivered, but the last..." He looked over at the empty glass like he longed to have a second round. "The fifth and final shipment hasn't arrived yet and Xeng's henchman at the Star of Chance tells me that if it isn't delivered by tomorrow, he'll back out, and take his credits with him."

Hyn sat silent a few moments, as Rel seemed preoccupied with his thoughts. Calei silently watched as the two men at the bar separated, retracing their steps. She wanted to tell Hyn, but the opportunity passed as he began to speak.

"We came with the shipment."

Relief and excitement washed over Rel's face. "You have it? Here? Thank Spirit! Where is it?"

* * *

Obi-Wan was beginning to notice more, the strange sensation of _nothingness_. The hollowness in the Force that had him and his Master looking around a cantina on a bustling planet like fools at the Gilt Gusher. And as he made his way through the rows of tables, it seemed to grow... denser, despite it being a sensation like smoke through his fingers; he knew it was there, but he just couldn't grasp at it. Perhaps he was finally on the right track. 

At least he hoped he was.

* * *

Hyn held up a hand. "I can't hand it over to you; I've already made arrangements to meet the client and set up the delivery." 

"You? When?"

"We're meeting Xeng here, tonight."

Rel looked like he was about to pass out. "You... you can't! And Xeng? He's never..." The man's face was turning a sickly shade that was close to matching his gray hair. "Look, Xeng's never set up a delivery himself; he always has that oaf at the casino do it for him. And he _expects _it to be the captain that handles it. I'm just here to stay in the shadows, see that it gets done, get paid when he has the last of it in hand, and get back to Aaeton. When you showed up, they must have figured something was amiss." Pausing, he ran a hand through his hair. "Did he describe Xeng to you?" His panic was tangible.

"No, I was given this to wear so he would identify me," Hyn replied, indicating the stone lapel.

Holding out his hand, Rel said, "give it here."

* * *

Obi-Wan was close now, he had to be. The sensation or lack thereof, was growing more noticeable, like a thickening fog. Obi-Wan stopped and looked across the cantina to find Qui-Gon. 

_Back here, Master._

As a couple moved aside, their bodies pressed against each other as they moved across the dance floor, he spotted his Master and nodded towards the tables ahead of him.

_I'll be right there._

Qui-Gon nodded in return as he adjusted his course.

* * *

Calei was having trouble focusing. She had never shielded her Force for this long a period before. It was taxing on her, both physically and mentally. She could feel her barrier beginning to bend; the shield of her Master pressing against it adding an unseen weight to it, making it harder to fight. They needed to move this along or the Force users that necessitated their use of the Qey'Tek meditations needed leave. And neither could happen soon enough. 

_Master... _ in her fatigue, she had forgotten their bond was deadened. Instead she pushed against his barrier as best as she could, and only felt it weigh down on her more as she felt her grip slipping. His focus was on Rel and her concentration was being pushed to the limit.

Sweat began to bead on her forehead.

"I'll meet with Xeng, tell him Pytalln had to use a different ship or something and didn't think he'd mind." His fingers shook as he took the stone lapel from Hyn's outstretched hand.

Forcing herself to locate the two men, her fatigue pulling down on her like a great gravitational pull, she nearly gasped when she realized they had drawn closer, too close for her comfort, and seemed to be converging towards their position. It was not good.

This time she closed her eyes and drew as much energy in as she could before slamming against the shield of her Master with all her might, trying to alert him. When he suddenly turned his head towards the rest of the cantina, spotting the two men in pursuit, she knew he would hurry.

"I'll find out when and where he wants to make the transfer and contact you. You can deal with him then, but keep in mind; I'll still have to see to getting those credits," Rel continued.

As the Governor's servant secured the lapel onto this tunic, Hyn had reached into the pocket of his outer tunic and pulled out his comlink. "Here, take this. It's directly connected to my Study's. Contact us when you have the information and we'll make the delivery together."

They swiftly got to their feet as Rel pocketed the comlink, his panic fading, as he knew he was now in league with two Paladin. Looking past him, Calei saw that the shorter man was now just two tables away. Quickly, but not fast enough as to draw attention, they headed straight for the exit, lifting the hoods of their cloaks as they went.

* * *

"Around here somewhere," Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon as he joined him, waving a hand at the table he stood next to that an older man had recently vacated. 

"I think you're right, Obi-Wan."

Suddenly, the emptiness was filled with a disturbance.

* * *

About half way to the exit, Calei looked back and saw the two standing by the table they had just left, and Rel too at this point. It was there that the light hit the shorter man's face and cast on it a green glow, as well as on the braid hanging from behind his right ear. 

_We won't harm you, we're Jedi._

The memory hit her so suddenly, what little was left of her focus shifted and her shield came crashing down around her.

Hyn's head whipped around at her, his eyes bearing down on her as his shield lowered so they had full use of their unique bond.

_Run!_

Looking over her shoulder long enough to see the two Jedi snap their gazes in their direction before taking off after them, Calei admonished herself for her failure as she ran after her Master. Twice now, in one day no less.

* * *

"There!" Qui-Gon cried, drawing their attention towards the exit just in time to see two hooded figures rushing out of the cantina. Without a need to exchange words, Master and Padawan dashed through the crowd, their movements so perfectly timed they didn't even graze a patron. 

Bursting out of LoBue and onto the walkway, the night blanketed the city save for the lights of the buildings reflecting off the water of the canals, they quickly took off to the left, trying to catch sight of the two figures amongst the people outside.

_I have to go._

Obi-Wan shook off the memory that came unbidden and followed Qui-Gon.

* * *

Outside, Hyn led Calei left and down the walkway a few feet before he spotted an empty boat on the canal some six meters away. "Jump!" 

Together they leapt forward, flipped once and landed in the boat, it's droid gondolier unshaken by their sudden appearance as Calei unceremoniously flopped into a seat.

"Turn right at the next junction," her Master instructed before taking a hold of her arm, causing her to look at him. "Focus. _Now_."

She knew they needed to cut off their trail, make it possible for them to distance themselves from the Jedi before locating a place for the night. But she was exhausted and just couldn't get her mind settled. It was her fault they were in this mess. And that blasted dream...

"Calei!" Hyn snapped, which was very rare for him to do, and grabbed her face in his hands, his voice softening as they began to make the turn. "You can do this."

Closing her eyes, she tried to let her guilt pass through her, but it was difficult. Her hands curled into fists around the hem of her cloak. Then, slowly, she could feel the Force moving through her, calming her as her frustration flowed through her, and she knew it was coming from her Master. Though she hated him having to help her like this, she knew she needed it. And it was working.

Feeling calm and centered, yet tired still, she tried shielding her Force. The calming Force coming from Hyn stopped as he threw up his barrier. It took a few seconds, but she finally managed a weak shield, just enough to earn her an embrace.

"It will be fine now." Her Master's voice was reassuring as he rubbed her arm, pulling her closer to his side.

Exhausted and sweating, her thin shield already beginning to fade as they boated farther from the cantina and the Jedi, Calei simply leaned against Hyn, her eyes still closed and her fatigue overwhelming.

* * *

When their presence in the Force suddenly vanished and the feeling of something having been ripped from existence returned, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stopped and looked around. They couldn't find either of the figures among the people littering the walkway, nor could they see well enough the passengers in the three boats closest to them, one of which was heading down another canal to the right. 

They had lost them. Who ever _they_ were.

* * *


	3. Objectives

**Book I**

**The Toss**

**III- Objectives**

Hyn had taken them far into Old Patch, as they learned it was called, before feeling they had distanced themselves enough from their pursuers to find shelter for the night. Calei was chilled to the bone now, the layers of her gown and cloak damp from perspiration which wasn't helping as her body already felt leaden. It wasn't easy, keeping in step with her Master; she had pushed herself further than ever before and though she had barely pulled through, it proved just how much she had yet to learn.

As they walked down a dim corridor of the hotel, Hyn took hold of her arm and helped her the last few feet into the room. There were two sleep couches, a table and two chairs, as well as a decently sized refresher near the door. Calei went to reach up and unclasp her cloak when she felt it slide open and thanked her Master for the gesture with a faint smile. Reaching the nearest sleep couch, Hyn had taken hold of her cloak, slipping it off easily as she slunk down onto the much-awaited surface, boots and all.

"You did very well this evening, Calei. Never before have you maintained such focus for so long," he said with sincerity that only made his words that much more meaningful to her. "I'm very proud of you," he added softly, relieving her of her lightsaber and Atahns before placing all four items on the table.

Hyn rarely used the word _proud_. Pride lead to ego, traits neither of which were befitting a Jedi. But a few times during their five years together, he had used it, and each time she committed it to memory. What Padawan didn't want to know they had pleased their Master?

Her eyes, she found, were too heavy to keep open and her mouth seemed unable to respond either as she tried to acknowledge his words, so she did the only thing left to her as she felt herself beginning to drift off to sleep.

_Thank you, Master._

The lighter than air feeling of drowsiness engulfed her, and the last sensation she had was of her Masters warm embrace through their bond as he dimmed the lights across the room.

* * *

Qui-Gon had led them back to their room at the hotel in silence, his desire to talk once they were in private having been expressed with a simple glance as they gave up pursuit. His Master turned on only one of the lamps in the room, the one on the table, as he pulled out the chair and sat, his jacket now hanging open. 

"So what do you make of them?" he asked, lifting a foot and resting it on the edge of his sleep couch on his right.

Obi-Wan sighed and sat on the edge of his own sleep couch. There was no need to explain who _they_ were; his Master was speaking of the two Force users they had sensed in the LoBue cantina. He felt it time to tell Qui-Gon about what happened in the casino.

"I think I felt them, or at least one of them, back in the casino," he said, taking off his jacket and lightsaber before shedding the offensive blue shirt. After he discarded them across the foot of his sleep couch, he reached back and scratched an itch that had been plaguing him most of the evening.

"Perhaps you were not alone. I thought I felt the lightest brush, but assumed it was only you, getting impatient again," Qui-Gon replied, a playful grin on his face, despite the seriousness of the discussion.

Obi-Wan no longer took the bait, and didn't acknowledge the jibe. "Do you think they could have been in the casino?" he asked, his nails digging in a bit deeper in their effort to relieve the itch.

"There is no way to be sure. Still, we must proceed with caution." He leaned forward and took off his jacket as he added, "If we are being followed, we must find out why and by whom."

Nodding, Obi-Wan pulled out his comlink and placed it on the nightstand. The night left would be short as dawn was fast approaching, and he knew Qui-Gon would want them fresh for the next day. Lying down, he stared up at the ceiling, his eyes tracing the yellowed circular patterns left behind by a water leak as he ran the events of the day through his mind. He needed to sort through them and store them in his memory before he could rest.

Their mission had just developed a new objective.

* * *

Waking to sunlight pouring in through a crack in the thin curtains and right onto her face, Calei smiled and stretched out her arms and legs, the blood rushing through her muscles was invigorating, as was the rest she had gotten, making her feel like her old self again. She knew she must have gone right into a deep slumber, for she hadn't moved an inch and couldn't recall a single image or dream. Normally she had dreams so vivid she could detail every sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste to her Master so clearly, he sometimes asked her to describe them just to listen to her use of language. Having been groomed for a life of diplomacy and politics before becoming a Study at thirteen gave her skills Hyn often said may be of use one day, and saw to it she practiced them. 

Slowly she stood and headed to the refresher to quickly get the grimy feel of dried sweat off her skin and the salty smell from her clothes. When often on missions where refreshers were a luxury, to miss using a perfectly good one was something she wasn't even about to consider. When opportunity throws you a refresher, bathe.

Hyn lay on his sleep couch, his comlink on his chest as he breathed rhythmically. He was still asleep, yet she knew his senses were fully alert, awaiting a contact from Bonis. Perhaps he'd remain asleep for a while yet.

Several minutes later she emerged, clean and feeling like she could easily tackle another long day at her Master's side. Crossing the room, she straightened the blanket on her sleep couch and then peeked out the curtains to see a market across the canal, racks and storefronts of various familiar and exotic foods from one end of the block to the next.

Grinning, she clipped her lightsaber on under her surcoat, then looked at her Atahn and cloak. It was a warm day out, she could tell by the attire of the people outside, and she was just heading across the canal. Unless they were on Aaeton, where their position was widely know and the sight of armed Paladin was common place in the capital, she never got to rid herself of the heavy woolen cloak. However much she wished she could leave it behind as if she were in Aaeta, she knew better and quickly hooked the thin metallic sticks to her hip, grabbed her cloak, and headed out of the room. Pulling it over her shoulders, she made her way through the hotel corridors in order to find them something for morning meal.

The sun felt good, she thought, exiting the hotel and crossing a bridge to get to the market. There were a good number of people out, but not enough to make navigating the walkway difficult. Starting at a shop with fruits in the window, Calei bought two small red specimens that were highly recommended by the shopkeeper. Though he seemed to have an overabundance of them, which might explain the recommendation, she smiled and took them any ways. A few credits lighter and her pockets a little heavier, she was soon walking further down the block, heading towards a bread stand whose yeasty smell was wafting all the way back to her on the breeze, causing a smile to spread on her face.

* * *

With Qui-Gon in a shop inquiring about parts to fix his comlink, Obi-Wan headed out to explore the city some on his own. Having asked the hotel owner to recommend a shop, they had crossed the city into Old Patch to reach the establishment. Curious and hoping to track down something to eat more palatable than the offerings at their hotel, Qui-Gon had agreed to his little excursion. 

It was four blocks west of the shop that he picked up the scent of freshly baked bread and with his mouth watering with fond memories of the loaves at the Temple, Obi-Wan smiled and turned towards the smell. The walkway was bustling but not overly crowded, and he easily and quickly weaved his way through. Up ahead he spotted the bread stand and his pace quickened when that wasn't the only thing he picked up on, but also the familiar ripple in the Force.

Calei was standing at the far end of the stand, examining various loaves and debating over which to take back to Hyn. She had already picked out a small round loaf of tylek rye for herself, one that fit in the palm of her hand. Its greenish crust was hard and shiny, perfect for dipping in some warm broth. With a flat square of donnic in her left hand and the rye in her right, she stood looking over a nice thin loaf of yellow nuyo'. It was then that she suddenly she felt a ripple in the Force, and was startled, dropping the square donnic in the process.

Reaching the stand, Obi-Wan's brows knit for a moment as he tried to determine the source of the disturbance. His concentration was broken momentarily as a young lady at the end of the stand dropped a loaf on the ground, earning her the stern attention of the stand owner as she disappeared from sight as she ducked down behind the stand to pick it up.

"You drop it, you bought it!" the owner barked, as she stood back up, loaf in hand, while several other shoppers watched the exchange. The wind picked up that instant and changing direction, blew the opening of her cloak back to reveal her clothing beneath.

"Of course, here," she said, hurriedly reaching into the depths of her surcoat to produce enough credits to buy the two loaves, which she then shoved into her pockets. As the owner grunted and took the credits, she looked over at him and paled.

The ripple...

Quickly, Calei bent down and picked up the square donnic loaf. It was soft and took the impact well, but did have a few grains of dirt imbedded in one corner. Her Master would cut that off without complaint. Standing, she quickly paid the stand owner, who had been more congenial only a moment before and pocketed the loaves. Best not to make more of a scene than necessary, particularly when she now had other, more pressing concerns. With the bread secure, she looked up and found herself staring straight into the blue-gray eyes of the Jedi Padawan she had seen the night before.

_We're Jedi._

The words came suddenly and almost cost her her concentration as she felt him reach out through the Force and she slammed the shield around herself so quickly the jolt of being boxed in jarred her own senses. She turned on her heel, ducked behind a herglic beside her, and slipped into the alley just past him. Knowing he would follow, she ran down a few feet until she spotted an open doorway and dashed inside.

_I have to go._

It was the second time those words came to Obi-Wan's mind and it caused him to pause when he knew he should have done otherwise. She was the one he had felt. No sooner than he realized this, the now familiar emptiness descended as she turned and disappeared down the alley. Dashing down the length of the stand, he turned the corner and began to make his way down the alley after her. He almost reached the end when he stopped suddenly, back tracked a few feet, and saw an open door. That's where she had gone. Somehow, he knew. Slowly he stepped inside; not being able to sense if she was awaiting him he proceeded cautiously.

He was good; not that she didn't anticipate a Jedi Padawan to be so. Being one herself, she knew all to well how good the Jedi were.

Calei had found herself in the bakery's kitchen, the droids working the equipment seemingly ignoring her as she entered without disturbing any of the machinery. Anyone else would have easily knocked over a rack or two the space was so tight.

Spotting a tall shelf stacked with containers full of various grain flours on her right, she quickly went around to stand behind it, prepared for him to enter. As she saw his gray jacket slip in the door, she Force pushed the unit over, its top ramming a support column on the other side of the pathway leading in from the door, the containers of flour popping open with the impact and spilling over the young man's head. As the scene unfolded, she quickly ran past the mess, several droids she passed beeping and whistling in anger as she escaped through the front of the bakery. Surprised shoppers watched has she dashed down the walkway and over the nearest bridge, her cloak billowing behind her.

Through the cloud of air born flour, Obi-Wan saw a blur of green dash past him, and he went to follow but one last container picked that moment to fall directly in front of him, causing his nose to hit the side of it with a painful crack. He reached up and rubbed it as his eyes watered; it hurt but wasn't broken.

Tempted to curse under his breath, he kicked the container out of his way and found that her escape path was now blocked by droids whistling and whining, trying to detain him until the owner came back to see what all the noise was about. Not having the time, he Force pushed them aside and ran out the front of the bakery, a cloud of flour billowing out from his clothing on all sides, much to the delight of several shoppers.

She was gone.

* * *

Hyn was at the window, the curtains drawn back as he stared out over the walkways below as she entered their hotel room. Calei knew he must have seen the whole thing, she could feel his concern through their bond. Somehow she rarely managed to keep things quiet on her own. She often wondered if she'd ever get the knack of getting out of a tight spot with little fanfare, as her Master seemed to always do. 

"Sorry, Master, there was a bit of trouble finding morning meal," she said meekly as she closed the door behind her.

He sighed and gestured for her to sit at the table. Pulling out a chair, she sat, reaching into her pockets and pulling out the bruised fruit and ripped bread. Her Master cracked a wry smile as he looked over the bounty.

"So this is the cause of that spectacle?"

"Well, not _exactly_. I had them before he came along," she corrected, pointing out that getting their meager meal hadn't directly been the reason.

Shaking his head, Hyn said, "Calei, your heart is generous and your motives pure. Yet you still need to put more thought into your decisions before you act. You must have trailed flour behind you for a block."

"I have come a long way since I was thirteen," she pointed out, ripping a piece off the round loaf of tylek rye. It was a poor attempt at an excuse and she knew it, yet she still felt the words pour out of her mouth.

"Indeed," he conceded with a sigh. He picked up the loaf she had bought for him and cocked an eyebrow at the injured corner before he added, "Five years ago, you would have leapt over the stand, over the man in plain sight, and left a trail of bread behind you for the hungry to follow in merriment."

Gnawing on the piece of bread, her eyes down cast, she knew this wasn't that much better as she noted the flour dusting her lower half. Pity they didn't wear a lighter color.

* * *

"Do I even want to know?" 

Obi-Wan had felt the shopkeeper's eyes on him ever since he walked in. Shoppers were either looking over their shoulders trying to be discreet, or openly staring at him. From head to toe, he was covered in various layers of flour, from tylek rye on his shoulder, to bluish lirr in his hair. If Jedi were measured by their ability to not draw attention to themselves, he'd be on the bottom end of the lightsaber.

"Probably not," he said between his teeth, wishing the shop was empty. His Master had an amused grin on his face that wasn't helping matters.

"Seventy-four credits, I believe you said?" his Master turned and asked the shopkeeper, drawing the man's gaze off of Obi-Wan and back to the credits in Qui-Gon's hand. With a nod the man took the payment and headed towards the back of the shop, most of the shoppers now ignoring their presence.

Obi-Wan waited until his Master was beside him and they were heading back towards their hotel before he spoke. "It was a girl," he began.

Turning to face him, Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow, telling him his Master was already finding this story interesting.

"A young woman," he quickly corrected. The image of a smaller, younger version of the young lady doing this to him came to mind and it made him thankful it was nothing more than an image. He shouldn't let pride cloud his thoughts, but that would have been hard to swallow down.

Sighing, he went on, shaking some more flour out of his jacket as he spoke. "Maybe seventeen, eighteen. At a bread stand I felt a ripple in the Force, like at the cantina yesterday. When I looked over I saw her and for a moment I could sense her Force but then it was gone," he paused in case Qui-Gon wanted to say anything, but his Master remained quiet, so he continued. "She ran off and I went after her, but as I couldn't sense her, she surprised me with a distraction."

"Flour?" Qui-Gon questioned with a playful tone.

Obi-Wan frowned and rubbed his hands through his hair, a bluish cloud rising into the air.

"An apparently effective maneuver," his Master noted with an underlying humorous tone.

"Yes, Master," he bit out as they crossed a bridge.

For several minutes they walked in silence, an occasional stare following Obi-Wan as they walked. Reaching out with the Force, he couldn't detect anything, not even the empty feeling he now associated with the dark auburn haired lady.

"Well," Qui-Gon finally broke the silence, "I do not think we are being followed by this young woman, which would most likely mean she is not interested in our where abouts. And yet, the fact this is the third time we have crossed paths remains. Tell me, what was her appearance?"

They reached the hotel and now entered their room.

"Long, dark auburn hair, blue eyes, pale skin. She wore a green gown under her cloak; it had several layers in various shades of green and an outer dress with sleeves slashed to the elbows." His Master was listening intently as he sat at the table. "And on her right shoulder she wore a silver sash."

Qui-Gon's gaze snapped up to his at that. "Silver sash? Did she have a blaster?"

"No," Obi-Wan replied, shacking his head, wondering how Qui-Gon would have gone from a sash to a blaster so quickly.

"Do you recall anyone looking similar as we headed to our last meeting with the Supreme Chancellor?" he asked, setting the newly acquired parts on the table along with his comlink.

Nodding, Obi-Wan sat on the edge of his sleep couch, the only place left in the room to do so. "The group we walked past on our way to his office."

He thought back to the meeting several weeks before. He found his gaze staring off into the distance as his mind searched for the memory. Finally, it came to him.

"Senator Denall, wasn't it?" Qui-Gon nodded and he continued. "Along with two men, one about my age, the other much older. They both wore red shirts under burgundy tunics, the sleeves of which were slashed up to the shoulder," he looked at Qui-Gon with understanding, his Master's nod encouraging him to continue. "The elder wore a gold sash on his right shoulder, the younger a silver sash."

Smiling, Qui-Gon sat back in the chair and crossed his arms in front of him. "Which means?"

* * *

They ate several bites of their bread before Calei told him about her discovery the night before. "Last night, at the cantina," she began, drawing her Master's gaze; "I lost my focus on my shield because I saw the shorter of the two men following us had a Jedi Padawan's braid." 

Hyn quickly swallowed the drink he took from a small glass of water. "Better they're Jedi than not. Was that him just now, the Padawan?" She nodded. "That makes three times."

He needn't repeat the words anymore; she had them committed to memory. _There are no accidents._ There was a reason they kept running into these Jedi, but that did little to put her truly at ease.

"But I didn't sense his Master," she interjected before grabbing one of the small fruits and eating half of it in one bite.

Hyn frowned. "Which may mean they have split up in order to broaden their search, if they are in fact looking for us."

"Do you think they would have cause to do so?" she asked.

"There is no way to be certain, so we must plan for all possibilities."

Swallowing hard, she watched as her Master quickly ate his fruit in one bite and pocketed the small square of donnic bread. Following his cue, she finished her fruit and stuffed the cracking tylek rye into her pocket. Hyn flung his cloak over his shoulders as she reached for a glass of water and quickly downed it.

"We have to leave immediately. They'll know we must be close by if you were caught unawares. If we must stay another night, we'll find new shelter." He headed towards the door, Calei close behind. "Are you ready?"

She adjusted her cloak. "Yes."

"We'll find an exit leading into an alley. I'd rather not be out in the open just yet. I'd rather we not use Qey'Tek unless absolutely necessary. There's no telling how long we might have to employ it later." With a glance to Calei, she knew he was referring to her limited ability to sustain it.

"I know one," she said, pushing aside her feeling of ineptitude. "I didn't think it wise to run straight back into the hotel, so I went around the back and found a service entrance."

Hyn smiled approvingly. "Very well, Padawan." Then he gestured for her to take the lead.

* * *

Now he saw the connection Qui-Gon had made. "Aaetinian Royal Paladin," he answered, and then promptly frowned. The Paladin carried blasters, the Royal Paladin's plated in Dallorian alloy. "But she wore green and was unarmed." 

"Are you sure she was unarmed?" Qui-Gon prompted.

"I'm sure she didn't carry a blaster, Master, as I've said."

"Yes, but was there anything else?" he urged, leaning forward a bit.

Obi-Wan focused his mind on her image. He could recall the silver stitching on the edge of her surcoat, the delicate chain hanging from her waist... the thin metallic sticks on her left hip.

"Yes," he replied, pulling himself out of the memory. "Two metallic sticks on her left hip, about one-sixth of a meter long each with a thumb pad on one end."

"Atahn," Qui-Gon replied.

He noticed the confused look on Obi-Wan's face. It wasn't exactly common study material, the Aaetinian Paladin; they only received a basic overview at the Temple. It was only due to a mission to Aaeton as a Padawan and his subsequent interest in learning as much as possible about the culture before they got there that led him to be so knowledgeable now.

"The Atahn are the ancient weapon of the Paladin, made of phrik and a few other alloys. They appear small, but are just under a meter long when activated. They pressurize, extending tapered nested layers outward ending in a pointed tip," his Master illustrated the concept with his hands. "They became a purely ceremonial weapon once blasters become the standard throughout the galaxy."

With sudden dawning, Obi-Wan rushed in. "But they would be nearly as effective as lightsabers in deflecting blaster fire in the hands of a Force sensitive."

Shaking his head, Qui-Gon said, "Only if they had been trained in using the Force, my young Padawan."

"But Master, if she only carried the Atahns, couldn't it be possible she has had training?"

The look on his Master's face had become grim. "Perhaps... and if so, by whom?"

* * *

Calei and Hyn made their way through one alley and then the next, only ducking out of them long enough to cross bridges as it became necessary. The hoods of their cloaks blocked out the warm sun, yet adsorbed the heat, causing the back of Calei's neck to perspire. Her Master had yet to decide on a place to rest as they awaited a message from Rel Bonis. 

"Master," she said, her footsteps in sync with his, "do you think the Jedi may have been sent to investigate the Dallorian shipment?"

His gaze sweeping over their surroundings as they headed out towards another bridge, he replied, "I doubt it. Emperor Nekalos went to your father with this mission; I can't see him bringing the Jedi into this when he wants to keep it from the Senate."

"But then who would have involved the Jedi?" Thoughts of someone else having already exposed their homeworlds' dilemma came to mind but just as quickly vanished. Her father would have surely contacted them if that were the case. But then another possibility remained. "Could they be after Xeng as well?"

Hyn led her into the shaded alcove of a building. "Whether they are or not, we will cross paths with them soon enough, and we must remain alert. Our true identity must not be revealed to them."

_There are no accidents._

Her Master's words echoed in her mind, and though she didn't directly question them, she did begin to question their order's secrecy. "Master," she began nervously. In the past year she had been thinking about how they hid, disguising themselves in their role of the Paladin and Qey'Tek meditations, and now she felt she had to speak up. "Why don't we approach the Jedi, see if they are after Xeng. It would make more sense to work together if they are than to divide our efforts between our mission and keeping our distance from them."

Hyn cast her a look that drove her further into the wall behind her. "We will not involve the Jedi. Interaction is forbidden, you know this."

"Yes, but even you've mentioned at times how you believe they're not as misguided as the Council fears, perhaps it is time for reunion."

Her Master's voice cut deep as his displeasure at her questioning him filtered through their bond, "My beliefs are just that, mine. It will be for the Council to decide if our order returns to the Republic, not us. It is not your place to question the Council. As for the 'reunion', its no more than a vision from a DoQua long gone and known for his disobedience to the Council." He turned to press his back against the wall beside her. "I should never have told you of that," he said to himself, but Calei heard it any ways.

"But Master, we could work with the Jedi without revealing who we really are! If they sense our Force, it's not like we..."

"Enough!" he snapped, making her bit her lip. "This is not a discussion. You will remember your place, Padawan."

Calei nodded with a swallow. "Yes, Master," she managed weakly.

* * *

Obi-Wan thought back to the young woman's attire and asked, "Master, if she was wearing green, she wasn't a Royal Paladine, was she?" 

"You're correct, Obi-Wan. If she was wearing green, she's most likely a Ducal Paladine, sworn to a particular House. Common territorial Paladin wear gray, symbolizing their neutrality." Qui-Gon sighed and ran his fingers along the edge of the table before he added, "She is just one of our concerns. The silver sash marks her a Paladine Study; much like your braid identifies you as a Padawan Learner."

"Then she must be here with a Paladine Master, which would mean there are two of them," Obi-Wan said, following his Master's deduction.

"Such as the two cloaked figures from last night," Qui-Gon added, concern etching lines in the aging man's face. "So two questions remain. What are two Ducal Paladin doing on Abregado-rae, and to which House are they sworn?"


	4. Plans

**Book I**

**The Toss**

**IV- Plans**

Obi-Wan sat at the table, his hands deftly working on the delicate circuitry of his Master's comlink, a variety of disposed parts and yet to be integrated new ones spread out on the smooth surface before him. Hours had gone by and there had been no news from their informant, but the time hadn't taken that long to pass as he had kept himself busy, the first hour having been spent in the refresher. Flour free, he concentrated on the task at hand while Qui-Gon sat across the room on his sleep couch, feet firmly planted on the floor as he used Obi-Wan's comlink to contact the Temple as they waited for more information about the shipment of Dallorian.

"Madame Nu," he heard his Master address the librarian once the connection had been made, "I need the House affiliation for Aaetinian Paladin bearing green garb."

"Not a common request, is it, Qui-Gon?" he heard her reply, the sound of her fingers on a computer panel in the background. Inquiring into the color scheme of the Aaetinian Paladin while on a mission on Abregado-rae was indeed far fetched and seemingly unrelated, but Obi-Wan knew she would find the information for Qui-Gon regardless, however grudgingly. Despite her comment, he doubted she thought anything of the requests made of her over her many years in the Temple Archives. What seemed obscure often was not.

"It would be House Denall," she said, her tone sounding annoyed at such a trivial search. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Qui-Gon met Obi-Wan's gaze, before he quickly said, "Yes, could you review the Supreme Chancellor's agenda from three weeks ago, specifically in regards to Senator Denall of Aaeton? And also, could you give me the names of any Aaetinian companies that utilize Dallorian alloy?"

"It will take several minutes to access the Chancellor's records," she responded with a sigh, the sound of her already accessing files faintly making its way through the connection, "but I can give you the company names in just a... oh," the archivist said in surprise, "there appears to be only one. Pytalln Foundry."

"Pytalln?" Obi-Wan mouthed.

Qui-Gon shook his head lightly, signaling that they would talk in a moment. From across the room, Obi-Wan continued to make out the faint sound of her search through the connection. Several minutes would pass in silence as she worked.

Jocasta Nu's voice finally broke the silence, "Here it is... Chancellor Valorum had a scheduled luncheon with Senator Denall three weeks ago, that was apparently rescheduled by the Senator due to unexpected business."

Qui-Gon's gaze clouded over in thought before he asked, "Are there any records of Dallorian alloy shipments leaving Aaeton in the last week?" Obi-Wan thought he might know where his Master was going with this, but he would wait patiently to find verify his own logic.

For several minutes, all they heard was Master Nu accessing files, an annoyed sigh escaping every now and then. "None on record, as I finally discovered." The annoyance in her tone was now crisp and unmistakable.

"Oh?" his Master asked as Obi-Wan made one final adjustment to the comlink in his hand.

"I was continuously rerouted to the Royal Paladin's Register in order to access the Foundry records; all direct access has been suspended," she replied hotly, upset at the Jedi being denied such a course of action.

* * *

With Calei's comlink in hand, Hyn led her further into the darkened alleyway of a large restaurant. They had been in the process of finding a hotel for the night when Rel Bonis had finally contacted them, causing them to pause where they were. Her stomach growled as the smell of roasting vegetables drifted through the alley. The day was drawing to a close and night was slowly covering the Capital City and her small loaf of tylek rye had long been gone.

Her Master still concerned about the Jedi, had kept them moving all day, and catching another meal wasn't high on his priority list. She knew better than to ask if they could just pop in to grab a little something as he'd point out the protein cubes concealed in a pocket of their cloaks. So she stood silent, grimacing as she popped one in her mouth and did her best to ignore the mouth watering scent filling the air around them. Smell and taste not coinciding made the cube harder than usual to swallow. One might be use to such cuisine, but it didn't make one like it.

"Two hours? Xeng isn't giving us much time to arrange transport of the shipment," her Master calmly said, the tone belying the concern she could sense radiating off him through the Force.

Rel's voice was agitated on the other side as he now had to play a bigger part in this mission than he had initially agreed on. "He almost backed out, Maiier! I have to get those funds back to Governor Pytalln before this whole thing explodes! How was I to argue with him when he holds all the cards?" It seemed panic was an easily attained state for the loyal servant. Something made her uncomfortable about him, which made dealing with him a task she was thankful her Master had to contend with. There was something about him that just didn't fit with the impression she made of him all those months ago on Aaeton. A change, and one she didn't feel was for the better.

"It's fine," Hyn said in an effort to calm Rel down, his gaze cast towards the walkway at the end of the alley to their left. "I'll see to the shipment and meet you there in one hour." She could tell he was not pleased with the arranged meeting, but they had little choice. Xeng had to been confronted.

"Thank you," Rel sighed before the communication ended.

Pocketing her comlink, he turned to Calei, a crease in his forehead and a determined look in his eyes. "We need to find a computer with centralized access," he stated, leading her back out onto the walkway, the lights of the restaurant pouring out its windows casting a variety of colors on his reddish blonde hair that was tied back behind the nape of his neck with a strip of green leather.

"To contact the port manager?" she asked, wondering why they just didn't use her comlink to contact the captain of the ship.

"No," he replied with a grin, "I don't entirely trust Bonis, I sense there is more to his motives than he admits. So I have a plan, but first, I need you to hack into the schematics of the Spaceport Gusher. "

Sighing, she picked up the pace of her steps in order to keep up with him, his strides longer than hers. She might not be good at repairing a speeder or programming a droid, but Hyn always seemed to find a way to utilize her talent in navigating computers. She had been waiting for the time she'd get to do more on this mission and hopefully make up for her earlier blunder.

* * *

Handing the repaired comlink back to his Master, Obi-Wan returned to the table to gather up the old parts. As Qui-Gon checked the repair work, Obi-Wan finished cleaning up, his thoughts preoccupied with all they had learned so far. It couldn't be coincidence that the Paladin were there, as his Master often said, _Nothing happens by accident._ Though he didn't always feel that way, he did try to see things as Qui-Gon did. It wasn't always easy.

Satisfied with the repair, Qui-Gon pocketed the comlink and leaned back against the wall above his sleep couch as he called to him. "So, Obi-Wan, what do you make of this?" he asked before ticking off the facts they now knew.

"Shortly before our Bith friend contacts the Jedi Council concerned about the possible use of Dallorian alloy suddenly coming into the Nebula Front's possession, Senator Denall reschedules a luncheon with the Supreme Chancellor. While here, we have encountered House Denall Paladin two, perhaps three times, as the last shipment of Dallorian is expected to arrive. Pytalln Foundry is the only Aaetinian company who utilizes the alloy, and all requests for access to their files is being filtered through the Register of the Royal Paladin, the same regimen seen escorting Senator Denall away from said luncheon."

Obi-Wan thought about it a moment, then said, "Perhaps the Dallorian the Front has been receiving is from the Pytalln Foundry. The Denall Paladin may be here to make the delivery, as they would be the regimen Senator Denall would trust the most and would draw less attention than Royal Paladin." The look on his Master's face told him he had come to the same conclusion. "But then," he asked, "if that's so... why is there no record of the alloy being exported off world?"

"If it is being placed in the hands of the Nebula Front, do you think the seemingly neutral government of Aaeton would want it to be easily traced? Any confirmed connection would estrange them from the Trade Federation." Qui-Gon said in reply.

He stood there, eyes locked with his Master as he realized things had certainly become far more complicated. Their path and that of the Paladin were destined to cross at some point.

"Our next move then?" he questioned, crossing his legs as he leaned against the table, his elbow bent as his hand dangled over the edge.

With a confident grin, Qui-Gon replied, "While we wait to hear from our contact, we'll focus on locating the ship that may be carrying the Dallorian shipment."

Obi-Wan was on the same train of thought as his Master. "And begin with those crewed by Aaetinians?"

"Indeed," his Master said with an approving glint in his eyes.

* * *

Hyn had had to force the mind of the young technician working on the communications system of the hangar where their ship was docked. As the man went off to work on a console in a different part of the bay, Calei slid into the office, her Master standing just outside as he spoke with another communications worker, keeping the man occupied as she worked.

Knowing she didn't have much time, she accessed the computer and began weaving her way through one communications net into another. Finally, she cracked into the security system files of the Spaceport Gusher and headed straight for the schematic files and blueprints of the waterworks. There were so many pages, she didn't have the time to scan them all so she pulled a datacard out of a pocket and plugged it into the computer, downloading the files beginning with those connected with the scheduled meeting location. Her task done, she put the card in her pocket, cleared the computer's memory of the access, leaving the display on its original settings.

_I've got it._

Peering through the window of the office, she watched as Hyn led the man further away from the door, leaving her a clear path in which to exit. Calei quickly left the office and made her way to the ship, as they had arranged, and pulled the datapad out of her cloak. Installing it into her datapad, she began to look over the files as she awaited her Master.

"What do we have to work with?" he asked as he joined her moments later, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder with a familiar warmth and pressure. The gesture was one he often employed and she never failed to be comforted by it. This mission had been a stressful one so far and if there was one thing Hyn understood about his apprentice, it was that whether she thought she needed it or not, a comforting touch went a long way.

Calei's mouth set in a hard line at the question, despite the welcome contact. "Not much," she began, now motioning her hand over the displayed information. "Many of the service tunnels and corridors have little by way of hiding places, even less by way of storage, and two tons of Dallorian isn't exactly small; spread out or no." Her Master's idea was quickly beginning to look impossible.

They couldn't just hand over the Dallorian, they had yet to determine it's purpose, and Bonis' trustworthiness. If it was going to be used in anyway harmful, directly or indirectly, they couldn't release it, no matter what the servant said. They needed to be sure it was within their reach, but not within Bonis or Xeng's, just in case.

Hyn released her to cross his arms as he stood looking over her shoulder at the readout. At least a head taller than her, his towering over her in such a manner never unsettled her as it had her mother. The recollection left her thoughts as quickly as it had come as she continued scanning, her Master's reassuring presence beside her as they searched, both conscious of the time passing. It was looking more and more fruitless until he suddenly grabbed her shoulder, causing her to pause.

"Wait." Calei moved her hand to give him a proper view. "There," he reached over with his other hand and pointed to a set of circular areas on the read out. "What are those?"

"Emergency storage tanks used in case of tidal surge. Why?" Calei looked up and immediately knew what the answer was before he even spoke, the look in his eyes giving him away.

"Master," she began in a pleading tone, "they perform periodic flushes of the emergency systems on a regular basis to check for potential problems," she continued, "And I don't have a maintenance check schedule for the Gusher; we have no way of telling if and when they might flood those tanks."

"Yes, but their proximity and space is the most promising we've seen," he countered, pointing to their position in relation to the meeting location on the screen.

"Well, yes, this loading bay would be good for unloading the containers, being so close to the tanks, but what of the rest of the lay out?"

Calei pointed to an intake shaft about a meter and a half in diameter that opened into the top of the tank some thirty-three meters from the bottom and then the even smaller outtake shaft that connected to the base of the permacrete lined tank at an angle on the opposite end, it's path one that ended in a durasteel grate covering its entrance into an open secondary holding tank that had a spill over set at twenty-five meters. To the right of the grate radiated a shaft connected to a filtering system that suctioned out large trapped debris, the water being redirected back to the secondary tank while the debris headed off to a compactor.

"Not exactly the most desirable scenario, is it?" she asked.

Judging by the look on her Master's face, even that bit of information didn't bother him. He was focused on the moment, the risks were there regardless, they knew that entering into this, and their mission had to be completed. With little time left to act, this was their best course of action. While she handed over the datapad to Hyn, a sense of unease struck her yet she bit her tongue, voicing her concerns would do no good anyways as he was already heading up the ramp and towards the cockpit.

* * *

Reaching the largest of the hangars in the spaceport, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made their way inside as dusk turned into night. Various freighters, transports, and shuttles could be seen among the bay; passengers, crew, and port hands moving in and out as if to the rhythm of an unheard beat. It wasn't much different than Coruscant, other than the smaller scale, so Obi-Wan felt at ease moving about the chaos as they searched for the port manager or communications office.

Qui-Gon nodded to their right as they rounded a repulsorlift sled and he saw the port manager only a few meters away, datapad in hand. Without any other instruction, Obi-Wan stayed in step with his Master as they casually walked over to the man.

"Hello," Qui-Gon greeted the man, drawing the port manager's gaze up to meet his.

"Can I help you?" he asked tersely in reply, giving no real indication that that was indeed what he was planning to do.

"I need some information about a ship that may be docked here."

The port manager tucked the datapad under his arm before casting them a cold eye. "Look, I don't give out information about the ships going into or outta here. Whatever their business is, it stays their business... that's how I keep a job. Now get moving!"

Qui-Gon calmly waved his hand. "You'd be glad to assist us."

"I'd be glad to assist you." The datapad was now back in hand. "What was it you said you need again?"

Obi-Wan found it hard to resist a grin.

"I'm looking for a ship with an Aaetinian crew and several tons of cargo capacity," his Master said, his face expressionless as he spoke.

The port manager looked down at the datapad, his fingers nimbly punching their way through records. It only took a moment before he looked up and pointed to their left. "I've only got one, the _New Dawn_. It's over on the eastern end."

Qui-Gon gave the man a slight bow. "Thank you for your assistance."

"No problem," he replied, walking off, eyes back on the datapad as he headed towards a large freighter.

Obi-Wan walked beside his Master as they headed towards the _New Dawn_, a feeling of anticipation drifting between them.

"Obi-Wan, we'll spilt up, improve our chances that one of us can slip on board and check for the Dallorian. Do you have your homing signal?" Qui-Gon asked, pausing as they came to a corner separating them from their destination.

He nodded.

"Good. I'll head along the back, you take the front." There was playfulness behind his Master's eyes. Things were going rather smoothly for once. Naturally, both knew it would be short lived, but they could enjoy it while it lasted.

A smile on his face, Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master."

Rounding the corner, he spotted the ship, a sea of small freighters and cargo containers scattered along the way. With a sideways glance, he watched his Master take off, his form darting between maintenance vehicles and various cargo stacked on repulsorlift sleds as smoothly as a guided missile.

* * *

Calei stood by the ramp, her senses focused on the bay around the ship while on board her Master informed the Captain of the delivery plans. The lights of the hangar made the darkness outside all the more complete as she decided to pull up the hood of her cloak. Something had begun to trouble her, something she couldn't name, couldn't describe, but she felt it nonetheless, the feeling of uneasiness inching its way under her skin.

Her eyes comfortably protected from the harsh artificial lighting, she sighed, reaching down to the chain around her waist, her fingers drawing up the silver links slowly until they wrapped around the tiny chrono dangling from it. She had one possession she treasured, her chrono. When her mother died in a crash before Hyn took her as his Padawan, there had been little left of the nearly identical chrono she wore. Her new Master had surprised her with this one on her thirteenth birthday, having used as many of the salvaged pieces of her mother's as he could find to construct it for her. Calei went no where without it around her waist as her mother had once done.

Her gaze lowered to check what time remained before they had to leave when she suddenly paused due to a ripple in the Force.

The Jedi had arrived.

_Master!_

Whipping her head up to look around, the chrono dropped back down to dangle at her side as she hoped Hyn would soon join her. Only a fool would assume the Jedi couldn't move about unseen, and she was no fool. Their presence was drawing closer and despite her trained instinct, she resisted the urge to throw up her shield, as Hyn had instructed her. She felt incredibly exposed and it began to unnerve her. Though she felt her Master's presence on board the ship above her, it would have made it easier if he stood beside her. The exposure was brewing anxiousness that she knew she had to let go.

Never before had she realized just how much she had come to rely on shielding her Force, and it suddenly dawned on her that it was a weakness, not a strength. Five years training under Master Hyn Maiier and she felt as nervous as a youngling, all because she could feel the Jedi in the Force as freely as they felt her. Questioning her Master was something she hadn't the nerve to do twice in one mission. No matter how it bothered her, she wouldn't voice it, and avoid his reprimand.

Obi-Wan hadn't gone far when he felt it, the disturbance in the Force that meant the two Paladin were near by. He moved silently behind a stack of cargo containers on a repulsorlift and then spotted the young woman standing at the bottom of the ship's ramp, the cloak concealing her from head to toe as she looked around the dock. Pivoting once on her feet to scan behind her, the flour dusted green hem of her surcoat peeked out slightly as she did so, confirming her identity. As she turned back to scan the other way, she threw back her hood and he saw her face for the second time that day. What was odd this time was the fact that he continued to sense her Living Force. She was uneasy, something you wouldn't expect from an apprentice her age.

_Odd indeed, Obi-Wan._

Far behind her, he saw Qui-Gon waiting for an opportunity to slip on board, himself concealed behind a maintenance droid and in a better position than himself.

Thankfully, Calei didn't have to wait long for a response.

_I'm coming. _

_I don't see them, Master!_

In her frustration, she threw the hood of her cloak back, making her search of their surroundings easier, however no more productive.

_Calm, young one. We needn't see them, focus on their Force. _

Calei stood, her fingers playing with the hem of her oversleeve as she waited for him to exit the ship. His plan called for her to do the one thing she had always been told not to do, which wasn't exactly an easy habit to break. How could she have anticipated the unease that came along with it? No sooner than the thought passed through her mind, she sensed her Master drawing closer and turned as he joined her side, taking her arm and leading her out of the hangar bay.

As before, he sent her a calming suggestion through their bond and it was making it easier for her to focus on their plan. "We must split up in order to draw them both away from the ship. Ready?" he spoke softly, a touch of concern in his eyes, as he prepared to send her on her own.

Confidently, she straightened her chin and nodded.

"Then go swiftly," he squeezed her arm gently, "and may the Force be with you."

* * *

The man that had to be her Master suddenly came down the ramp, taking a hold of the young woman's arm before leading her towards the canals outside the hangar. Obi-Wan sensed her relief with his proximity and recalled the times he had felt a need to have Qui-Gon near him at times too when he was younger.

As the Paladin drew closer to him and away from the ship, his gaze drifted behind them and he saw a rust colored blur that told him Qui-Gon had slipped on board.

_Stay with them._

_Yes, Master._

But as he replied, Obi-Wan found the man was suddenly heading towards the canal on the far side of the hangar, and the young woman heading directly towards the one behind him.

With her Master dashing off in the opposite direction, Calei turned to her left where a stack of cargo containers blocked the way. As she drew closer, she felt the presence grow stronger and knew one of the Jedi was near by. Stepping around the containers she looked over her shoulder to find the Jedi Padawan was closer than she had anticipated. He crouched there, behind the containers, his eyes boring into hers as she paused at the edge of the illuminated bay. Despite the plan, she found herself rooted to the spot.

_The berry laden bushes… the laka nut trees over head. The warmth of Ragoon beating down on the planet that shared its name..._

The image flashed before her eyes and she had to force her eyes closed in order to shake the memory out of her thoughts. What was simply a few seconds felt like minutes as she freed herself from the vision and found herself still locking gazes with the Jedi Padawan before her. Shaken, she quickly turned and dashed out into the night beyond the hangar. Her boots made no sound on the walkway as she ran a few meters, spotted an empty boat, and leapt into it, her heart racing.

Obi-Wan was taken back as she turned towards him and his gaze locked with hers. It seemed the lights of the spaceport flashed and he was standing next to Quinlan again, the scared little girl before him, her hands reaching up as if to cover her face...

Stunned, he closed his eyes and shook his head, willing the image to vanish. Opening his eyes, he found her eyes on him still, her head turning an instant later as she bolted out into the darkness beyond the hangar bay. He wanted to call out after her, move, something, but his mind was so busy trying to wrap itself around what had happened that he remained there, frozen, until his comlink signaled.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's voice rang out as he rammed his hand into a pocket. "Obi-Wan!"

He quickly fished it out and replied. "Yes, Master?"

"I found the Dallorian, it's on the _New Dawn_. Are the Paladin still out there?"

"They've split up," he said, his eyes following the Paladine Study as she disappeared down the canal, her presence in the Force becoming difficult to focus on, "and they're heading out of the hangar."

"Follow the Master," Qui-Gon instructed. "Where he goes, she is bound to follow."

Acknowledging his Master's orders, he took off after the Paladine Master, the young woman sailing further away behind him, the disturbing vision struggling to plague his thoughts as he pushed them aside to focus on the task given him.

Alone on the boat, the droid steering as she instructed, Calei began to worry as she felt the Jedi's presence fade the further away she went. The young man wasn't following her. It troubled her more than it should, that she knew, but why? She didn't know him, and yet... the dreams, the memories. She couldn't help but think of the young Padawan she had smiled up at years ago. The one that she felt she could trust...

Shoving that train of thought aside, Calei brought her attention back to the matter at hand, and that was their plan not turning out as they had hoped; lure the Jedi to pursue them and draw them away from the ship and its cargo. Quickly she reached for her comlink, only to realize Hyn still had it. Cursing under her breath, she hoped they were close enough still to understand each other clearly.

_I've lost them, Master._

And her mind, she was beginning to think.

* * *

Qui-Gon quickly caught up to him as he leapt into a boat recently vacated only a few meters behind the one occupied by the Paladine Master. "I sense she if far off now, but not hidden as before," his Master stated before motioning in the direction of the Paladine's boat for the droid steering. They could maintain a desirable distance and have a good view of their prey.

"They seem capable of disguising their presence," Obi-Wan said as he planted his hands on his knees and looked over at his graying Master. "But how is it possible, concealing one's Force?"

"I don't know, young Padawan. I don't know." The admission seemed to unnerve Qui-Gon, and the sensation of it passing between them somehow reassured him. His Master always seemed so wise, so capable of staying a step ahead, and here he was, as puzzled as he was.

"Perhaps we'll learn that along with the other answers we seek," Obi-Wan said.

"Perhaps," Qui-Gon agreed, "For now, we must focus on the task at hand, tracking the Master."

They followed his boat for several blocks before it turned a corner. As it went out of sight, they felt his Force suddenly cut off, the sense that something was gone descending on them like a tidal wave.

Qui-Gon leapt to his feet. "He's jumped out and gone afoot."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked as they too made the turn and found the boat they had been pursuing empty.

Turning towards him, Qui-Gon merely cocked an eyebrow in response.


	5. Foes

**Book I**

**The Toss**

**V- Foes**

_They're both with me._

Calei sunk a little further into the seat of the boat as her worries over having not drawn one of Jedi after her vanished. She could concentrate on getting into the Spaceport Gusher unseen and prepare for the arrival of the alloy. Hyn would be handling the decoy cargo he had arranged with their ship's captain at the appointed location should the servant show up earlier than planned. It had only taken a few interactions with Pytalln's servant during their time there to determine there was more to him than they first thought. They did not wholly trust the man.

With the hangar a good kilometer behind her, she left the boat behind and made the last of the trip to the Gusher on foot, ducking into and out of alleyways as well as walking amongst pedestrians on the walkways. Her pace was swift and sure. The good thing about their all day excursion was that they had covered a good deal of the city, including getting close enough to her current destination that she had a good idea of how to weave her way over there without drawing attention to herself. When she was just a few blocks away, she noted the change in the atmosphere around the waterworks, as the district became predominately industrial, and therefore darker as the night wore on.

Circling the large structure, Calei made her way around to the side farthest from the busy city center where the entrances were fewer yet better concealed. She found one that she could easily get to without stepping into the bright beams of the security lights of the towers above. Once she was there, it only took a moment to determine the alarms were off, as Xeng had promised, and slide the locks over using the Force in order to let herself inside.

It was darker in the corridor she entered than it had been outside where the security beams cast a faint light like the glow of a perpetual full moon, its length running left and right until it turned corners and out of her sight many meters away. Above her on the ceiling there were only a few illumination panels, spaced about every eight meters, casting a dim glow below them that did little to truly make the panels and circuitry along the walls readable. However, since the skeleton night shift consisted of mostly droids, the other workers limited to the central power grid on the top level, or so Xeng had assured Rel, there really was no call for further illumination. She wondered what connection their client must have to the place to be so familiar with it, let alone be capable of ensuring them a silent entry.

Not that a silent exit had been guaranteed, she dryly noted.

* * *

Following Qui-Gon out of the boat as it pulled over against the walkway to let them off, Obi-Wan opened his jacket so he could better scratch at the itch nagging him on his lower back. His lightsaber banged lightly against his ribs with the slight sway his jacket made as he dug his nails into the offensive itch. If his Master was aware of his actions, he didn't show it. Rather, he casually led Obi-Wan down the walkway as if nothing had, or was, happening.

"If they were in such a hurry to get out of the hangar, don't you think the delivery must be soon?" he asked Qui-Gon quietly as they paused, stepping aside on the walkway, against a building and out of the way of pedestrians.

"We can't be sure, but I believe there are two possibilities- either the delivery is to take place soon, or they were trying to lure us away from the ship," Qui-Gon replied, "in which case, they believe they have succeeded. Leaving us only the delivery to consider."

His nails were leaving marks by now. "A lot of help our contact seems to be then! We've not heard anything and yet the Paladin seem to be planning their next move," he retorted, the offensive itch not giving in.

Watching him struggle with his hand behind his back, Qui-Gon said, "Perhaps he does not have a direct source of information, meaning it will take him longer to collect."

Obi-Wan gave up the battle and crossed his arms, the itch seeming to gloat over its victory as it burrowed deeper.

"Either way," his Master continued, an amused grin on his lips as his apprentice stood glowering, "we are prepared." With that, he held up the read out from his homing devise.

The Dallorian was making its way off the ship.

* * *

Checking her chrono, Calei saw she only had moments before the Dallorian would arrive at the loading bay her Master had chosen. Quickly, she grabbed one of the ponchos emblazoned with the Gusher emblem she had found hanging in a maintenance room along the corridor and pulled it on over her cloak. Moving swiftly, she went further down the corridor and found the area designated for equipment and supply deliveries. A droid was on the far side of the loading bay suspended by its repulsor inspecting a few crates stacked against the corridor wall. A simple Force push knocked the droid into the wall, its metallic body crunching with the impact before sliding to the floor in a heap.

With the droid out of the way, she headed over to the bay control room to her left, found the panel for the loading door closest to her and opened it. As it lifted noisily, she spotted the cargo barge making its way over. As it docked, one man stepped off and walked over to her. Though his face was hard to distinguish under the shadow cast by the wide brim of his hat, he looked to be one of the crew from their ship. Calei had expected the captain to have escorted the alloy, but then perhaps Hyn had though it a better idea to have him go with the decoy delivery just in case.

"Where do you want it?" he asked a bit tersely.

Ignoring the tone, she noted a second man, dressed in the hangar uniform was busying himself with getting the containers off the barge and onto a repulsorlift sled just inside the bay. He seemed to be comfortable with the loading equipment no matter where he was.

"This way," she directed, turning left down the corridor, the man's footsteps echoing behind her.

Turning the first corner to their right, they entered a cavernous area, the three cylindrical sides of the emergency hold tanks, easily capable of holding a freighter inside them each, lined the right side, their maintenance doors in a neat row. Walking up to the first durasteel encased cylinder, Calei accessed its control panel and opened the door. Inside a few illumination panels along the ceiling popped on, casting an eerie glow inside the enormous space.

"In here, along this side," she instructed, taking a step inside, holding the door open with the large handle on its interior side as it wanted to automatically close otherwise, and motioned towards the wall just under the intake along the ceiling. Her voice echoed in the empty permacrete lined space, making it appear even more cold and hollow. The man leaned in through the door, looked around the expanse, gave her a look that said, '_alright, if you're sure'_, then with a curt nod headed back to instruct the other man handling the containers.

Several minutes later, the Dallorian alloy was being tucked away in the first empty emergency hold tank as Calei stood in the loading bay, keeping watch out of the open bay door.

* * *

Walking in the direction of the beacon as it left the hangar, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon kept a steady pace side by side. They had found themselves turning back in the direction Obi-Wan had seen the young woman going a few blocks into the chase. Still they had no word from the Bith and it was becoming something he couldn't take his mind off of. He was beginning to question the reliability of their informant when his comlink signaled.

Expecting it to be the Bith, finally, he pulled it out and promptly handed it over to his Master.

"The delivery is to take place at the Spaceport Gusher in about an hour," he could hear the Bith say, "I apologize for the little time this gives you, but I'm afraid I was not informed as usual and had to proceed cautiously. If I'm suspected, it will do neither of us any good."

Qui-Gon lifted the comlink, saying, "I appreciate your help, no apology is needed."

"I managed to get the name of our man overseeing the delivery... Xeng. I haven't met him personally, he's not been with us long and few truly trust him."

"Is there any physical description you can give me?" his Master asked.

The Bith was silent for a moment, thinking, his breathing the only sound heard over the connection. "Human, gray hair. I heard he has a long scar on the side of his neck, but keeps it hidden, so I don't know how much that helps you," he offered.

His Master rested a hand on his hip. "It will, thank you."

"Good luck," came the reply.

Handing the comlink back to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon looked at his read out for the homing devise before meeting his apprentice's gaze with a smile. "We may have found a reliable informant inside the Front after all."

"Oh? And why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because," his Master answered, holding up the read out for him, "it seems the Dallorian is heading towards the Gusher as he reported."

With a grin, he started off towards the waterworks with a quicker pace, Obi-Wan quickly falling in step beside him.

* * *

Glad she had thrown the poncho over her cloak, Calei stood in the open door of the loading bay, an outdoor security light beaming down on her. She continued to watch as the port hand from the hangar prepared to pull the barge out from the loading bay. Just as she began to wonder how long it would stay there, it moved on, scanning the waterworks perimeter. Breathing a sigh of relief, she wiped a little trickle of sweat off her brow.

"Did the other shipment leave first?" she asked the man, hoping the chaos of the hangar hadn't caused them a delay. Hyn wanted to be unloaded and ready before she took up position. If this shipment left first, it would throw off their timing.

"Yeah," the port hand said with an annoyed sigh as he began to pull the barge away. "That's what was arranged, wasn't it?"

She thought of thanking the man, but knew it would be shrugged off anyways as he was clearly annoyed at having to make a delivery at that hour. Instead, she turned and headed back towards the control room in order to close the door and move on to the next stage of her Master's plan.

With the barge pulling away from the bay, she entered the control room and stripped the poncho off. Draping it over the back of a chair nearby, she then reached over and punched in the sequence that soon had the heavy door lowering back into place. Still concerned about their use of the emergency holding tank, she turned her attention to the computer on the opposite wall and began sorting through plant records to find the emergency systems check schedule she knew must be there. Outside, the loud noise of the loading bay door blocked out all sound. At one point she felt something was moving about and looked up, only to find a small droid scurrying across the floor of the bay before disappearing down the corridor past her.

Relieved to find the systems check not due for another week, Calei left the control room and back into the again quiet loading bay. Checking her time again, she saw it had taken a little longer than she had expected to stash the Dallorian. Hyn and Rel would be meeting with Xeng soon and she needed to get to the other side of the building in order to take up her position. Hyn wanted her within view, but not openly. If the Jedi arrived, he wanted her to keep an eye on them.

She decided to cut through the area occupied by the holding tanks, planning on using a service shaft and the labyrinth of catwalks high above in order to get there a little faster and make up the few extra minutes. Passing two of the three tanks, she felt something moving again, closer this time, and paused.

Backing up until she was across from the door leading into the tank in which they had hid the Dallorian, she stopped and reached out with the Force, searching for the source of the movement. It didn't take long for her to pinpoint it.

There was something, or someone, moving in the tank.

* * *

"Not worried about being seen, are they?" Obi-Wan asked as the two Jedi crouched behind a security wall, the Spaceport Gusher a few meters away. They had peered over the edge and found they had arrived just moments after the Dallorian alloy, which was now being unloaded onto repulsorlift sleds inside the loading bay.

"It is not unheard of to receive deliveries this late, especially if the hangars can not hold the shipment until the next morning. Besides," he continued to point out, "Does it not look like a plant worker is overseeing it?"

Obi-Wan looked up over the edge again and spotted the figure in the distance, directing the two men as they handled the cargo containers, a hooded poncho bearing the waterworks emblem draped over their shoulders.

As he lowered himself back down, his Master added one more thing. "It is often best to blend in than to disappear completely. Few notice what is right in front of them."

"I only sense one faint presence, further away," said Obi-Wan. The itch had returned, but thankfully, pressing his back along the rough surface of the wall as he had crouched down, scraping it along the way, had finally rid him of the sensation.

"I believe the Master is still concealing himself in the Force. We will have to be extra observant."

Nodding, he waited for Qui-Gon to lead the way in. His Master took another long look at the building before them and then nodded his head to the left. Silently, the two leapt over the short wall and made their way across a metal pipe that spanned the canal. Jumping down once they were on the other side, Qui-Gon went ahead and locating the grated cover of a vent shaft, Force pulled it off before disappearing inside, his apprentice right behind him.

The other end of the shaft opened to a large pump room were his Master landed on his feet, his head already turning to scan their surroundings as Obi-Wan came to land beside him.

The noise of the pumps made it difficult to hear even his own thoughts as Qui-Gon checked on the homing beacon and turned right. Steam occasionally shot out at them as they navigated the narrow path between the pumps and the exterior wall, the heat of the blast burning its way through his jacket, not enough to cause pain, but enough to make him sweat under the course layers. Though his Jedi tunic looked rougher than the material he now wore, it was comfortable and light, neither of which he could say about the shirt or jacket he continued to be tortured with.

As they came to the end of the large pump room and closer to what appeared to be the adjoining power relays, they heard voices and Qui-Gon motioned for him to stop as he looked around the tall silver cylinder covered in pressure read outs and steam exhausts beside them. Turning back, his Master leaned in to his ear, saying, "We'll go back and cut between this and the last pump," not wanting to shout despite the noise of the pumps.

Nodding, Obi-Wan turned and lead the way down until they came to a small space, just wide enough for them to squeeze through, between the two pumps mentioned. Sideways, he slowly made his way to the other end, where he peeked around the edge.

There was a wider main walkway, separating the pump room into two halves, running the length of that part of the building. At the end of the corridor, on the left, he spotted a man, about his height with shoulder length gray hair standing beside a stack of cargo containers that had already been unloaded against the wall. Obi-Wan could sense his relief and excitement at the sight of the containers as he laid a protective hand on top of one.

Obi-Wan watched as another figure came into view through the archway leading into the room, pulling the poncho up over their head as they did. When it was lowered, he saw it was the Paladine Master, his gold sash clearly visible as the ends of his cloak were thrown back during the act. It didn't surprise him to find he couldn't sense the man's presence through the Force, as his Master had already predicted.

"That's the last of the containers," the Paladine said, his words barely audible over the sound of the pumps in the distance behind Obi-Wan as his eyes scanned the room tentatively.

As the other man nodded, Obi-Wan turned back to Qui-Gon.

"Two men, one's the Paladine," he reported.

"No sign of his Study?"

He shook his head.

Qui-Gon's lips formed a hard line at the response before gesturing for him to continue observing the two. Turning back Obi-Wan braced himself with a hand on the side of the pump housing as he listened to their conversation.

The Paladine was pocketing a small chrono when he looked back, at the same time the pump they were concealed behind came to life, drowning out any sound he might have managed to hear. Frowning at the development, he swung back to speak to his Master.

"They're waiting and I can't make anything out. What do we do now?" he nearly had to shout in Qui-Gon's ear.

* * *

Cautiously Calei walked over and placed her hand on the thick durasteel door. She turned her ear towards the tank and reached out with the Force trying to determine if whatever was inside had harmful intent. All she could sense was a growing anticipation, but it didn't seem to come from inside. Leaning back a bit, she thought of scanning the whole area before entering the tank but that idea was quickly scrapped as the movement began again, from inside the tank.

As she reached over to the control panel with her right hand, her left unhooked the Atahns from her hip, the two sticks not clinking against each other despite the single handed grip as her fingers moved nimbly over the panel until at last it flashed green. Quickly, Calei grabbed one of the Atahn in her right hand and as the door opened, activated the two weapons; their nested layers expanding out into pressurized batons. Pushing the door open with her shoulder before it closed automatically, she looked around its edge and found nothing there, save the cargo containers, but heard a faint scratching sound coming from their vicinity.

Stepping fully inside Calei collapsed one of the Atahn and hooked it on her hip as she walked slowly around the stacked containers, the door shutting behind her. As it latched shut, the illumination panels along the ceiling turned off and plunged the space into darkness. The sound stopped for a moment, the deafening silence of the empty tank returning full force as she reached into a pocket on the underside of her surcoat and pulled out a glow rod. Activating it, she began to scrutinize the floor around the containers, thinking some small rodent might have just squeezed between them during the unloading.

Her boots made no scraping noises on the permacrete floor as she moved, walking from one end of the stack to the other, her hand continuously waving the glow rod towards the cracks between the containers and along the tank wall. Not a trace of any creature could be found and yet, she was sure the movement had come from in there. Standing up after crouching down by the floor, Calei thought of checking the door blocking the outtake shaft across the tank along the slightly slanted floor.

She took a few steps towards the outtake door, her eyes scanning the containers as she swept the glow rod over the stacked cargo on her way when the scratching started again. Just to her right, at about shoulder level was the container from where it was coming. Something was scratching _inside_ of it, she realized suddenly. Then another scratching sound from a container two rows to the left was heard. Collapsing her other Atahn, she reached for the second container once she hooked the baton in place on her hip. Setting the glow rod on top of the container beside it, she quickly used both free hands to release all the clamps and lift the lid.

Inside was a spidery-legged droid trying to scale the side, its legs unable to find purchase. The rest of the container, she found, was filled with mechanical parts and circuits. From somewhere in that collection came a click sound. Brushing aside a metal plate, she barely caught a glimpse of the flash detonator before it went off.

* * *

"Now we join them," Qui-Gon replied, ending with a smile. His Master had a knack for finding amusement during their missions. Occasionally he did as well, but not to the extent of Master Jinn.

Returning the smile, Obi-Wan quickly slipped out into the main corridor between the rows of pumps, Qui-Gon close behind, the two men's attention being immediately drawn towards them as they began to walk forward.

"Beautiful evening, don't you think?" Qui-Gon asked nonchalantly as he and Obi-Wan came to stand only a meter away from the men, the Paladine's hands on his Atahns as his Force suddenly became perceivable, probably because there was no sense in hiding it at that point.

The gray haired man's eyes darted between them and the Paladine as he spoke. "A long evening to be sure," his hands curled around the weapons tighter. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to tell me why you've been following my Study and me?"

At the mention of her, Obi-Wan looked around expecting her to be positioned somewhere close by, ready to attack or defend if the need be, but couldn't sense her anywhere nearby. With the intricate catwalks above and dark alcoves between the many pumps housings, there were hundreds of places she could be, and he wasn't going to spot her with eyes alone.

"I believe you already know why," Qui-Gon replied, gesturing towards the cargo containers of Dallorian alloy.

The Paladine stood firm. "This is not a matter that concerns you."

Qui-Gon took a step closer but did not reach for his lightsaber. "I'm afraid it is. You see, I can not allow the Nebula Front to acquire that Dallorian alloy."

Obi-Wan didn't miss the panicked look that crossed the gray haired man's face. His eyes had bulged in surprise for a second, the sweat running down the side of his face causing him to wipe it away, which brushed some of his long hair back in the process, exposing the side of his neck just enough for him to spot a red scar line running down from behind his ear.

_Master..._

_I saw it too, Obi-Wan._

"The Nebula Front?" the Paladine asked, shocked. "You must be mistaken. This is a shipment of droid mechanisms and circuitry for the plant."

"Oh?" Qui-Gon asked, straightening a little. "Then you won't mind if we inspect the containers?" he asked, to which the Paladine turned towards his companion, lost in thought a moment before suddenly reaching for the clamps on the lid of the container beside him.

It happened in the blink of an eye. The Paladine flipped open the lid to see the Dallorian stacked inside while Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon drew their lightsabers and the gray haired man lifted the lid of the container he had his hand on, pulling out a blaster and aiming it at the Paladine.

"You didn't think I'd really leave everything in your hands, did you Maiier?" he asked, his normal panicked demeanor hiding beneath a strong façade as he held the weapon with two slightly trembling hands.

The Paladine let the lid of the container he had checked slam shut as he grabbed the Atahns from his hip and extended them in a swift second. "It was you... _you_ are Xeng," he bit out, a moments anger flitting over his features before drifting away just as quickly.

"Indeed I am," he replied, bowing his head slightly with a grin as he placed his free hand over his chest, another man armed with a blaster bursting into the room from behind him. Obi-Wan moved closer to the Paladine, filling the void between the Jedi and the Paladine as Xeng's man took aim at Qui-Gon.

"You won't get away with this," the Paladine said, giving a quick, approving sideways glance to Obi-Wan as he slowly raised both batons to the ready.

Xeng smiled evilly before asking, "Tell me, has your Study forgotten to join you?"

No sooner than the words had left Xeng's mouth, Obi-Wan felt the disturbance in the Force. All three Force sensitive men looked at each other before the Paladine's face paled. "Calei!"

* * *


End file.
